My Process

I am intrigued with the use of color, shapes and form. My intent is to bring a sense of rhythm to my artwork. Several years ago, I had a stroke. At the time, I thought my creative life had come to an end. But, I was determined to do whatever my rehabilitation team suggested to rebound from the unfortunate event. During physical rehab, I worked alongside other stroke patients relearning basic physical skills. One such task involved a monotonous exercise of lifting small wooden cubes and placing the cubes into a plexiglass container and, once that was completed, reversing the process, and returning the cubes to their original holders. I did this monotonous task every day for three months. There was constant frustration as I had trouble gripping the cubes and dropping them into the container. Plus, there was the ongoing issue with brain fatigue - a condition common to stroke patients, plus issues with balance. Still, I kept working on these simple, repetitive tasks. Slowly, I got the hang of things and eventually was able to do the exercises with relative ease. There were many repetitive exercises the rehab practitioners had us work on during those long hours of rehab. Drawing, standing, walking, and speaking; at the time, everything seemed new to me. One of the lasting effects of the stroke has been an inability to hold a paintbrush firmly or to control the slight hand tremors as I attempted to work the edges of a painting or apply finish detail to various shapes. However, I was determined to focus on what I could learn with my new set of limitations. As you can see in my short Instagram video, I have learned some techniques that allow me to move forward with my art. Tools such as flat sticks, gel pads, and finger painting offer great insight into the possibilities I hadn’t considered prior to my stroke. Simple acts, such as “swiping” paint across a canvas with a flat stick or using a brayer to roll paint on a gel pad inspired me to create without boundaries; to grow my art. The process starts with a mental dialogue and I work from there. A visual narrative is important: design and color capture the spontaneity of the moment. Form, color, and a variety of found objects are major influences. Capturing the spontaneity of actions through subjective manipulation completes the artwork. Building my portfolio of original art has been a rewarding experience. I have discovered that there are no limitations when it comes to starting a new print or canvas. Each work explores the complexities of creating original pieces and conquering the physical limitations that were once considered obstacles to a successful creative career. I hope this overview of the creative process is beneficial to anyone visiting my gallery. To purchase any artwork, simply click on the piece that interests you and click the Add To Cart feature. When you have finished selecting the artwork, proceed to checkout. And, again, thank you for visiting The Gallery.

My Process

I am intrigued with the use of color, shapes and form. My intent is to bring a sense of rhythm to my artwork. Several years ago, I had a stroke. At the time, I thought my creative life had come to an end. But, I was determined to do whatever my rehabilitation team suggested to rebound from the unfortunate event. During physical rehab, I worked alongside other stroke patients relearning basic physical skills. One such task involved a monotonous exercise of lifting small wooden cubes and placing the cubes into a plexiglass container and, once that was completed, reversing the process, and returning the cubes to their original holders. I did this monotonous task every day for three months. There was constant frustration as I had trouble gripping the cubes and dropping them into the container. Plus, there was the ongoing issue with brain fatigue - a condition common to stroke patients, plus issues with balance. Still, I kept working on these simple, repetitive tasks. Slowly, I got the hang of things and eventually was able to do the exercises with relative ease. There were many repetitive exercises the rehab practitioners had us work on during those long hours of rehab. Drawing, standing, walking, and speaking; at the time, everything seemed new to me. One of the lasting effects of the stroke has been an inability to hold a paintbrush firmly or to control the slight hand tremors as I attempted to work the edges of a painting or apply finish detail to various shapes. However, I was determined to focus on what I could learn with my new set of limitations. As you can see in my short Instagram video, I have learned some techniques that allow me to move forward with my art. Tools such as flat sticks, gel pads, and finger painting offer great insight into the possibilities I hadn’t considered prior to my stroke. Simple acts, such as “swiping” paint across a canvas with a flat stick or using a brayer to roll paint on a gel pad inspired me to create without boundaries; to grow my art. The process starts with a mental dialogue and I work from there. A visual narrative is important: design and color capture the spontaneity of the moment. Form, color, and a variety of found objects are major influences. Capturing the spontaneity of actions through subjective manipulation completes the artwork. Building my portfolio of original art has been a rewarding experience. I have discovered that there are no limitations when it comes to starting a new print or canvas. Each work explores the complexities of creating original pieces and conquering the physical limitations that were once considered obstacles to a successful creative career. I hope this overview of the creative process is beneficial to anyone visiting my gallery. To purchase any artwork, simply click on the piece that interests you and click the Add To Cart feature. When you have finished selecting the artwork, proceed to checkout. And, again, thank you for visiting The Gallery.