My paintings explore the visual matrix that arises from the slow growth of trees and the erosion of limestone by water. I live within the shadow of the Niagara escarpment and this is the visual topography that I encounter in daily life. With such subject matter, the theme of time is ever present. The sense of slow change in such a living environment is reflected in the process of layering mixtures of the primitive, physical medium of oil paint on canvas. The slow, deliberate method of my oil painting technique pays modest tribute to the endurance of trees and the majesty of geological forces that continue to shape our environment.
The rejection of conventional rules of landscape composition is intentional. Most of my works feature a central image that is not rooted (literally or figuratively) to the space it inhabits. The surface of the illusory tree and the surface of the painted canvas are shown in precarious visual balance that echoes the delicate balance that all living things must maintain to sustain life.