Painting was the means through which I wrested an art under the fire of culture shock and many contradictions.

Making art and creating symbols have taught me that a sincere life cry sublimated and transformed into art opens up a possible gap towards the ineffable and maps out trajectories that resound with the entire human family. It has the revolutionary power of a timely truth simply stated. It ensures commonalities by defining relationships beyond protective walls yet paradoxically informs one about necessary boundaries.

Such an art zigzags between the ubiquitous I of the private self and the surrounding environment. Consequently, in my experience, painting has taught me much about life, society and faith. What started as my response to a call to make a poetic synthesis of the particulars of my life has grown into a desire to find new methods to celebrate the underlying unity of the created order and affirm the beauty, dignity and value of all people.

I am attempting to use composition and color to create visual encounters that examine the experience of conditioning and manipulation. Just how does the mind respond to stimuli so two individuals presented with the same information respond and perceive differently.

Shock, dialogue, fantasy, a brief escape from reality are unique reactions which I find pushes boundaries that are muddied by godism, tribalism, sexism, chauvinism, racism, panderism and a lack of awareness or a blatant disregard for others and the particular worlds that shaped them. Rigidly held beliefs contain within them diamonic seeds that create endless cycles of oppression and veils of confusion.

Are we being manipulated into comfortable illusions? How are our experiences blinding us to the obvious? When is an escape beneficial and at what point does it become dangerous? In my own growth as a human being faith and imagination have helped me face tough places and grope towards strength and the real, these moments of insight I call my seven flames of painting.

For me painting is glory coming out of a tear watered planting

For me painting is a litany for the light

For me painting is a treasure of darkness

For me painting is a cry for the kingdom

For me painting is a holy shout

For me painting is a fine line between being and nonbeing

For me painting is affirmation