A good work of art should be startling every time one sees it. Such a work begins a dialogue between the viewer and the art, and the more meaning that is implanted in the art, the deeper that dialogue can be. The value of any work of art is not in its price or its history, but in the inherent energy, its ability to act as a catalyst of responses in the viewer. Likewise, the most successful viewer is not one with the best education or the finest taste, but one who can respond to the work with the greatest sensitivity. My work varies in style and form, ranging from simple portraits to disturbing representation of the human body. In portraits and commissioned pieces there lies a simpler quality, a need to provide a sense of peace to the viewer. In some cases, this has taken the form of replication such as my elongated version of Van Gogh's "Starry Night". Much of my watercolor and oils serve this purpose not just for the would be owner, but also for myself. In painting for others I often I find a need to please the eye and mind, and look to the beauty of color and line in order to achieve that.

On the other hand, much of my sculpture and personal/non-commissioned work provides no answers and removes no doubts. My intent, rather, is to ask tough questions - to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable - to plunge the viewer into that wondrous process of dialogue. The interaction is usually not a verbal or even a conscious one, but often one that continues, at various levels of awareness, as long as the viewer and the artwork are within range of each other.

I believe every artist has a responsibility to society: to absorb, distill and interpret, through the artist's personalized filter, realities that would otherwise be invisible. I take that responsibility seriously, and that means I sometimes create images that are shocking or vulgar or in some way unpleasant. Often the piece begins with a distinct image inside my head, but is transformed by the medium itself, resulting in an often gross metamorphosis. Clay is an excellent example of this and is evident in my sculpture. Knowing and understanding such a difficult medium is to recognize that a true, symbiotic relationship has to exist in order for the artist to master technique. Once I realized and came to accept this I found a freedom in sculpting that I have not replicated in oils or watercolor.

My work revolves around the human condition, which is both trying and rewarding. My intent is not to lead viewers through that labyrinth, but to engage them in it, to pitch them into the struggle with an attitude of urgency, wonder, and hope. Enjoy your visit.