Fog & Other Mysteries

Artist's Reception
Friday May 2nd
6-9PM
Gallery 070, Vashon

This evening is the opening of my new show at Gallery 070 on Vashon Island. In addition to the requisite food and booze, my opening will feature the mysterious musettes and foggy tangos of Maggie Kim on the accordion and the incredible voice of Maeg O'Donoghue-Williams as she performs traditional Javanese songs and original compositions. While you are out on Vashon, you can enjoy the rest of the first Friday art walk featuring... more food, booze, and music!

Also, my show is included on the Vashon Studio tour, which will be going on Saturday and Sunday of this both weekend and the next.

Here is the artist statement that accompanies the paintings:

The paintings in this show are from the series ‘Fog & Other Mysteries,’ which explores the mysterious within the mundane. The work, all of which is new, is executed in both oils and acrylics. I made numerous preliminary studies, drawing on a combination of direct observation, photographic reference, and imagination. It is my first major return to oil painting in five years, and the first time that I have combined oils with extensive acrylic underpainting.

When I began ‘Fog & Other Mysteries’ I intended to create a series of monochromatic paintings that used tone and atmosphere to evoke a sense of light and space. My goals, as you can see, changed significantly between conception and completion. My initial sketches focused on scenes of fog, snow, and dusk, and it was from these images that the series earned its name. As I worked, the series grew to encompass a range of imagery far wider than the original dim scenes. The sunny fields, craggy heights, and ramshackle greenhouses that emerged pushed me to open my palette, increase the size of my canvases, and create the work that hangs before you.

‘Fog & Other Mysteries’ was both challenging and rewarding to paint. The process of its creation involved both technical and spiritual struggles. I emerge from this process with a greater knowledge of my craft and a deeper appreciation for the mystery that is at its core.