This idea of individual perspective creating different representations is in close relation to the content of the pieces.  In each painting there is a representation of the presence of hands or figures with the figure in the painting.  Depending on the attention of the viewer and the distance or perspective to the painting the hidden hands and figures appear and disappear. The translucent hands and figures represent spiritual forces and were painted in a way that allows the viewer time to relate to the subject of the painting first and then realize the presence of the spiritual force. The spiritual representations were painted in a way that they can be denied when attention is placed solely on the subject of the painting. The individual may choose to acknowledge the influence of and wonder about the spiritual force on the subject or focus purely on the image. In the same way, we as individuals may do the same in our own lives regarding the spiritual realm.

This series was inspired by various scripture verses describing a very real and active unseen spiritual world we are all surrounded by and involved in.  The subjects in the paintings are all in some undefined way being influenced by this unseen world.  Some are directly influencing the subjects and some subjects are in environments where the unseen figures exist along side and around them. Whether the force is representing an angelic or demonic force is not defined.  The intent of this work is to create an awareness of the spiritual world and to create a desire to investigate the truth in the Bible further.

Scripture that inspired the series:

 Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

 Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”

Abstract series

In my abstract series, I have chosen images of individuals and couples and have abstracted them in a way that they are no longer recognizable.  How much of our time, effort, money, and emotion is spent on superficial earthly things that will all turn to dust? We don’t know completely how eternity will be experienced visually but we know we will have new bodies, we won’t be living in our homes, driving our cars, or chasing fashion trends, all of which will be meaningless.  If we focus on eternal things, all the earthly superficial things become less an idol. By abstracting the figures, I am able to make them all neutral.  They have no status of success. They are no longer able to be assessed by standards of physical beauty.  They are now closer to the way we are viewed by our creator. “The LORD does not look at things man looks at. Man looks at the outer appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7. If we were able to see our world and ourselves in the way it will be viewed in eternity, we might not be so consumed by things of image in this world.

Idol Worship Series

We all are faced with the temptation of worshiping idols. 

When painting the portraits, I pose my models in a way that references fashion photography.  The purpose of a model is to advertise a new idol- that thing we are missing. The thing that could make us feel complete, and happy.  This type of advertisement targets our insecurities and our in-born desire for completeness.  Models represent completion. They are symbols of success, happiness, an object of desire, importance…all the things people think they want to be. We are all trying to reach that level of completeness and we jump from idol to idol chasing it. We will only find a real sense of completeness in our savior, Jesus Christ.

As hard as we try to portray an image of completion, inside all of us, without Christ, we are left wanting so we look to a new idol.  The forms attached to the surface of the paintings represent idols.  They act as a barrier between the figure and the viewer.  In the same way, our idols are a barrier that can keep us from a relationship with Christ or get in the way of that relationship.  The idols become a cheap substitute for Christ’s place in our lives. He is the only one that can truly make us complete.

Desire to Communicate Series

 I am interested in the human desire to connect with the spiritual world, and the barriers that prevent us from realizing or recognizing that world. My oil paintings portray people in vulnerable emotional states and pose questions about how we might react if confronted with a divine presence, and what keeps us from connecting with this presence. Figurative images bring the viewer face-to-face with feelings of confrontation, introspection, intrusion, or even injury. I often expose various stages of the painting process in the finished piece, hoping to add to the expressive quality and concept of the painting. I also explore the tension that is created between the flat surface of painterly marks and the illusion that these marks can create. In juxtaposing thick built up layers of paint with thinner paint layers, I create tension between three-dimensional and two-dimensional spaces which relates to the concept of the work.