" February 5, 2008 "

Acrylic and Fiberglass on Canvas

54 x 48 inches

This morning I was walking around the small lake near my home, before driving to the studio. I had grabbed the nearest shirt off the chair without paying much attention to it, but halfway through my walk I became aware of what an intense color of blue the shirt is. The sky was cloudy, which can always enhance color, and the lake was reflecting the same silvery grey of the clouds. Then a strange shift in thought happened.

I have been working for nearly a year on paintings which are either black and white or, recently, mostly white. People have asked me why I'm doing white paintings, so I've struggled to give them an answer. The answer never really quite seemed to fit though. Maybe only now are the paintings starting to reveal their real purpose. By looking at these white on white, textured surfaces, I am becoming more aware of colors, shapes, and surface textures in my surroundings, not just in the studio.

I now think this series of work is less about what you see WITHIN the painting than about what you see BECAUSE OF the painting. That answer seems more "true" for now. A new one, another acrylic and fiberglass on canvas, will be finished in a couple days, so we'll see then if that thought still fits. I'll post a photo and will enjoy your comments.