My latest painting, “Natural Phases,” is oil and bronze leaf on wood panel, 48″ high by 36″ across.

It’s an interesting thing that happened with the creation of this painting; I had put together my composition, which I was happy with, and then printed out my references and was set to begin. I had printed out the design in it’s entirety, as well as two details, or close ups, so that I can get good references for my painting. Then, there I was before the panel, all set to commence. I laid out the three reference pages and one of the close ups caught my eye. It was intriguing as it was, only displaying a portion of the full image. It left elements of the image in question and it posed more questions than the initial idea. I liked the ambiguity it presented. And so, after about a day of contemplation, I decided to go for it. The rest of the painting happened in a similar fashion. Imagery came to mind as I painted which led me to add elements as well as take them away.