My work explores the tension between the natural world and the instability of its representation. Though my paintings often begin from a plein-air sketch while hiking in the Hudson valley, they quickly dissolve into something more gelatinous, where solid forms undergo a material shift, closer to the substance of oil paint itself. This deliberate manipulation of form is central to how I approach both my subject matter and the process of painting.
The paint handling in my work mirrors the slippage of our current reality, where what was once stable and concrete—whether a landscape or a societal norm—now feels less secure. The viscous, shifting nature of my landscapes reflects this instability, inviting viewers to question the solidity of the world they inhabit. I want viewers to focus on how the painting is constructed: the weight of the paint, the movement of the palette knife, and the varying degrees of pressure exerted upon the tool. Some marks are slow and weighted, analyzing how the paint mixes with the previous layer, while others are quick and punchy. The way I apply paint is my response to the world’s unpredictability, where every gesture reflects the balance between chaos and control, much like the environment I am depicting.
Yet, even in this instability, there is something captivating about the act of painting itself. The layers of thick, tactile paint create a physical presence that both resists and embraces the dissolution of form. This balance between chaos and cohesion drives my process, where each mark is both an affirmation of control and an admission of the unpredictable nature of the medium.