It all starts with the line...

More precisely, it starts with a 005 (.20 mm) Pigma Micron pen and Fabriano Medioevalis 207 card stock...

"Thelma" ink on paper

I might start by scribing a facial feature or a foot and work out from there. I never know how its going to turn out; I draw for hours, as though practicing an instrument, producing a stack of drawings -- I get more warmed up as I proceed. I make no judgment as I draw, working with the pen to be as impulsive as possible. Each drawing is a riff and a quip laid down without attachment or consequence.

In transferring a drawing into a painting I am faced with trying to maintain the impulsive nature of the work while redefining it with the added dimension of color. I try to keep the proportion of the lines the same, as the slightest adjustment of a line's distance, width or relevance can dramatically alter the impact of the work. In the painted versions of the work, the choice of background for the figure needs to be bold enough to support the image, and subtle enough to highlight the figure. I rely on instinct to determine whether the fields of color above and below the horizon line need to be flat or textured. I start each background by spreading the paint evenly to create a flat blanket of color, and then add blended gradations of color or texture depending on how much variation the image can support. Some figures stay flat against a flat background, while other figures need more texture in their backgrounds to stand out.

"Thelma" acrylic on canvas