Illumination

Painting, like swimming, is a full-immersion experience. With this new series I’m diving deeper, bringing the ocean closer. I want to taste the salt in the air, hear the waves, feel the wind and dive right in. My process begins by closed-cropping my reference images until they’re blurry. I rely on memory and knowledge of body surfing as much as on my photos. My painting process begins with wet alcohol washes of dry pastels, then a gradual building of layers of dry pastel on top, some thick juicy swipes, some light, airy glazes, and liquid splatters of dissolved pastel.