ARTIST STATEMENT:
I'm fascinated with people: what drives them, the sound of their voices, how they walk, run, converse, compete, adjust, and manage stress, hate and love. My favorite artists have also fancied the figure. My favorite artists have also fancied the figure. Among them are Robert Henri, John Singer Sargent and William-Adolphe Bouguereau. The undercurrent of their works is what’s really intriguing. They could convey a soul at the surface, while beneath, lay all the strength, weakness, and humor that define the human condition. Insightfully, they created rhythmic passages within the figure, a result from intuitively cascading brush strokes in concert with each other.

The quality of edge found between hues of color, like musical notes, words, or states of being -- whether they’re seamless or abrupt; subtle or loud -- is where the "separate" passes through other "separates", in hope of creating a meaningful whole. Transitions between states of being, whether they’re welcome or not, offer the opportunity for an awakening to those paying attention.

The panels illustrate the illusion of separation from the greater whole. Vertical panels illustrate our separation from others, whereas horizontal panels represent our separation from nature. We should celebrate our uniqueness and not be blinded to our oneness. As I would say to my art students, see the parts, sense the whole.

"A human being is part of a whole, called by us the 'Universe,' a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
-- Albert Einstein