Bio
I create art because the act of taking an idea driven by
inspiration and bringing it into reality fills me. I experience a
sensation of losing myself, my identity, my thoughts. Time
transcendent experience resulting in a material item that did
not previously exist.
Most of the paintings currently on exhibit at my studio were
created during the past year when I was acutely sensitive
to the personal changes I was experiencing due to the
transition from a corporate to an artistic life. This includes
personal identity, emotional growth and personal struggles
of releasing the past and embracing an uncertain future. All
people eventually experience major life changing
circumstances where the future may be unclear. The
emotions and challenges are common to those in these
situations. My hope is that we share a common experience
through the art work. In this work, I attempted to merge
Modern and Post Modern techniques using resin to create
contemporary images with a reverence to the past.
My earliest memory of creating an art piece was during
summer school between Kindergarten and 1st grade. I did
a simple craft project of decoupage paper on a glass jelly jar
to create a vase. I remember very clearly losing track of
time and refusing to stop until the project was complete.
The biggest different between my childhood art projects and
now is that I strive to show my audience a piece of myself,
to leave the viewer with an emotional impact, or ask a
question for the viewer to ponder.
I began my professional career as a nuclear engineer that
spoke to my analytical and mathematical side. Throughout
my corporate career, I painted. The time spent painting
increased over the years. In many of my works, evidence of
my attraction to structure, organization and mathematical
representation of space and time can be clearly seen. In
others, there is a distinct attempt to avoid the analytical
approaching emotional abstract expressionism.
My work is tending towards the more experimental, in the
sense that I like to experiment. It is playful and I have no
idea of the outcome. I like asking the question “what if?”
The results often surprise me. As I mature and evolve as an
artist, my goal is that my art becomes more personally
reflected and can ELICIT an emotional response from the
viewer. I want the viewer to leave questioning or
contemplating things and ideas which they have not
challenged in the past.
A series of 4 smaller paintings that will be included at the
July opening are based on the concept of uncertainty. The
inspiration of the pieces came from artwork that I noticed at
a Starbucks I have frequented for years. For some reason,
I noticed the prints on the wall differently, or at least, they
felt and seemed differently. To be honest, I don’t actually
care for the images but they were calling me. I became
obsessed and studied them. I was inspired. I decided the
next morning I would begin my interpretation of them. I
was uncertain however of how they would look or if the
technique I was trying would prove satisfying. The series
was “up in the air” and I felt a deep sense of uncertainty to
continue but did so nonetheless. The result was 4 paintings
that do not resemble the inspiration print at all but capture
“uncertainty.” A personal impact of these paintings is how I
can learn to embrace uncertainty and allow things to unfold
naturally, mistakes and all, to reveal an unexpected and
often unanticipated destination.
Artist Statement
I enjoy creating with tinted resin due to its unique
properties. It is these properties which also add to the
challenge. Resin is a result of a quick chemical reaction;
therefore the amount of each component is crucial,
otherwise the resin will not cure or dry. Because it is quick,
it often allows me less than 20-30 minutes to manipulate it
like paint. I must plan out in advance and then work very
quickly. Resin has a sense of depth to it depending on the
color and layer combinations. All these attributes combined
attracts me to using resin. They allow me to play with all or
just on of the resin attributes, each piece being very
different from the one before. When all the conditions are
right, I am able to create very unique and interesting
pieces. If just one condition is off, the result is a pile of
colored, sticky mess.
I use resin in two main ways. The first way I use resin
similar to how I may use acrylic paint. I “paint” layer over
layer to get a play of the colors, texture, and light
reflection. The dry time between layers can be as much as
24 hours if I want no interaction of the colored layers. Many
of pieces have 6-14 layers so I may take several weeks for
just one piece. The second manner in which I utilize tinted
resin is by pouring all the colors of the images onto the
board at once, shape them and then allow them to interact
chemically yielding a soft mixing and marbleizing effect often
presenting an organic feeling of the image. The pouring and
mixing process can only take minutes so a lot of planning
and preparation goes into each piece before I begin
working with the resin.
The combination of colors and textures, as well as the
image itself, help tell the story or my inspiration. My goal is
to encourage others to view the world differently using
resin to great images, either abstract or recognizable.
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Resume
Education
1990-1992
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
MS Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics
1986-1990
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
BS Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mathematics
Exhibitions
2010
GLAAD OUTAuction NY 2010, New York, NY (Nov 21, 2010)
Pilsen Open Studios Walk, Nolan Studios, Chicago, IL (Oct
16-17, 2010)
“Edge-tober”, The Edge Gallery, Chicago, IL (Oct 15-17)
Ravenswood Art Walk, Chicago, IL (Oct 2-3, 2010)
“Universal Love: Embracing The Divinity in All”, Life Force
Arts Center, Chicago, IL (Sep 24, 2010 – Jan 2, 2011)
Group Collective Residency, 4Art Inc Gallery, Chicago IL
(Sep-Dec 2010)
Group Exhibition, 4Art Inc Gallery, Chicago, IL (Aug 2010)
Lacuna Open Studios, Chicago, IL (July 2010)
2009
“Autumnal Assimilation”, Black Walnut Gallery, Chicago, IL
(Oct-Dec 2009)
“Heat”, Black Walnut Gallery, Chicago, IL (July 2009)
2008
Black Walnut Gallery, Chicago, IL (September 2008)
Marc Rubin's “Chicago Room” Gallery, Chicago, IL
(September - October 2008)
Highland Park Art Center, Highland Park, IL (December 2008)
2007
Around the Coyote Gallery, Chicago, IL (October 2007)
Chicago ArtOpen, Chicago, IL (October 2007)
Black Walnut Gallery, Chicago, IL (September 2007)
The Man Show: Art of the Male Anatomy, Mars Gallery,
Chicago, IL (August 18 – September 1, 2007)
First 40, GLANCe, North Lakeside Cultural Center, Chicago,
IL (June 21 - August 3, 2007)
Black Walnut Gallery, Chicago, IL (June 2007)
Darkness: World and Culture, Caladan Gallery, Beverly, MA
(May 10 – June 9, 2007)
Urban Edges X, Barrington Arts Council, Barrington, IL
(March 16 – April 30, 2007)
2006
Chicago ArtOpen, Chicago, IL (October 15 – November 4,
2006)
GLAAD NYC OutAuction 2006, New York, NY, (October 22,
2006)
Curator’s Choice Exhibition, Around the Coyote Gallery,
Chicago IL (September 2006)
Around the Coyote Fall Festival, Chicago IL (September 7-
10, 2006)
World of Found, Barcelona, Spain (October 2006)
Abstract Mind Mural Project
O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, IL (August 4, 2006 –
January 2, 2007)
Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago, IL (April 20-July 7,
2006)
Around the Coyote Winter Festival, Chicago, IL (February 9-
12, 2006)
Piece Restaurant, Chicago, IL (January 15 - June 30, 2006)
2005
Lincoln Park Art Faire, Chicago, IL (September 17-18, 2005)
Memberships & Associations
Chicago Artists Coalition
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