I’m interested in places, places in the world and in time, places in the head, places with physical dynamics. The Arena is a symbol of this human condition, from bloodshed to marketplace to music. The voice such as is in the opera is as human as it gets and is really a hopeful evolution.
When I am painting I imagine myself inside the arena. It becomes a container where I can gather up my interior workings and let them out on paper, or on a panel stapled to the wall. Sometimes the images turn out to be recognizable, but often the shape is very abstract, but there is usually the same reference point.
Perhaps because of my eccentric travels at a young age I have a need for the ambiance of roots, a quiet neighborhood, calm and private but not remote, with tall trees and gardens. Contact with my family gives me that, too. When I’m coming from that place I can go to the studio and let it rip!