I want to convey a straightforwardness in my work, to present what I felt when I first encountered my subject. The scenes I paint are not fancy or grandiose, they come from recognizing the dignity of small moments. I treat my paintings of seascapes, landscape scenes and buildings as portraits of memory. They often carry a subtle narrative. I build these narratives through use of light and shadow, perspective, and the careful placement of movement or objects in the scene. The narratives in my paintings are open-ended and invite the viewer to bring his or her own interpretation to the painting.
I believe painting is the manifestation of a felt experience—an attempt at representing something that once was. The absence of people in my recent work emphasizes the approach of the viewer onto the scene. I hope my viewer will find something universal, something that’s there in all of us.
Jurors:
- Victoria Gao, Director of the Bannister Gallery and Exhibitions, Rhode Island College
- Grace Hopkins, Director of Berta Walker Gallery
- Pete Hocking, Curating manager at Four Eleven Gallery and vice-chair of Provincetown Commons.