Although I have different interests or diversions from  Figurative work, I always come back to the human form as my main inspiration.  The paintings in this gallery span my entire career and are grouped materially, textually  and thematically., rather than chronologically.  My influences are Henri Matisse, David Hockney, Jim Dine, Richard Diebenkorn, the German Expressionists, and the Bay Area Figurative Painters.

I like to work fast, reacting in the moment, using materials that dry quickly and add texture.  I want the viewer to see the process in the work and journey with me to the final product.  I am not interested in creating an illusion of perfection.  Painting the human form is a sub-conscious extension of my relationships in the world.  When working with a model, I draw quick outlines of the pose.  I start applying large areas of color, pushing and pulling the paint while creating shapes.  Then, I step back to find the relationships between the colors and the shapes;  I stop thinking about the figure and try to assist the dance between color, shape, texture, figure and pose.  A piece has to work on all sides, and before it is done, I hang it sideways and upside down to make sure that it is balanced.

I hope that my work causes a visceral reaction; that one sees something in the work when viewed at distance; that it transforms before them when the materials and textures are seen close up.