About Face

Humans are hard-wired to analyze faces to seek connection and understanding - to anticipate mood or intention. This natural common behavior is one reason I, like many others, are drawn to art that presents the human face. It is an endless subject for exploration and a vehicle or partner for concepts I find important.

For example, how can I present a face that illustrates layers behind the surface planes? How does color choice or line quality impact how a viewer might respond to a face? What is hidden beneath the surface? And what remains familiar regardless of warped or missing information? These thoughts and questions relate to all of my work, regardless of the subject. I continue to dig into ideas about how we observe each other, what we assume, how we connect and how we judge. A face can draw us in to consider more, or discover something unexpected and then something exciting happens - the art mirrors how we look at each other in life. In making these paintings, I am reminded of a valuable lesson I love: if we can learn to see each other with curiosity and wonder, instead of fear and judgement, our ability to connect and respect each other grows.