As an observationally based painter, I maintain two seemingly disparate bodies of work: toy tableaux still lifes and alla prima plein air paintings. Although the conceptual motivations between the two differ, they are both linked by an intense curiosity on process, materials, and the desire to capture light. Evolving in tandem for the last several years, I have found that the push and pull between the two approaches both informs, as well as invigorates, one another.

 

Toys have been central to my visual vocabulary as a painter – they can be transformed to comment on a wide range of issues using both metaphor and allegory. The familiar imagery is utilized to entice the viewer to look beyond the lighthearted veneer and acknowledge the often weighty concept that informed each painting.

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In the past few years the underlying theme for my toy-based work has shifted towards developing a self-reflective, sub-series. After the financial stability of my family was momentarily put into peril, I began to recognize how important it was to maintain an illusion of security. Furthermore, this experience unexpectedly called into question my identity which had been intrinsically tied with my profession. The combination of not knowing how to provide for one's family and unsure of my true self left a sense of helplessness and impending doom that needed to be explored with innocent, playful imagery.

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“Blockhead” amplifies this creative investigation by using self-deprecating humor to explore the feelings associated with constant evaluation and critique – particularly as I pursue my career as an academic and artist. The use of playful imagery (toys, primary colors, crayons) is intended to reinforce a feeling of inadequacy, and a child-like naivete when judged by others. This judgement often occurs in professional or online settings, especially when one deviates from the overly simplistic and dogmatic dialogue that exists in our world today. These relationship and social dynamics can ultimately lead to fluctuations between self-confidence and self doubt simmering in one’s headspace.

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To complement the obsessive, slow-paced, nature of my toy tableaux still lifes, the practice of alla prima plein air painting forces me to work with a sense of urgency. Each small field study is a depiction of a specific time and place, and how I perceived those passing moments both visually and emotionally. Every painting is an adventure in battling the elements, simplifying the complexity of nature, and faithfully recording color relationships to describe an accurate sense of light. These compositions evolve organically, without premeditation or any conceptual agenda. Consequently, working this way yields to a sincerity in the paintings that is difficult to achieve otherwise. Although this process is in stark contrast to my toy tableaux paintings, it is critical in energizing my practice as a realist painter by honing my eye, and allowing me to play with the application of paint.