Widening Circles

December 2023

Gallery Show, Wander Brewing

Most of my favorite experiences of art, whether it is a poem, a painting, a sculpture, or whatever else, is to spontaneously have a feeling, essence or memory conjured unexpectedly. How a string of words or the way the light falls in a photograph can cause an upwelling of emotion or a whole story to suddenly pour out of the artwork, and out of the viewer.  The piece of art has its own story and meaning that the artist intended, but what inspires me more is the infinite experiences or ideas that are generated in the relationship between the artwork and the viewer. When we consume art we experience meaning that is entirely private and our own. 

My hope is that this collection of paintings creates little universes for the viewer to explore, stirring whatever comes up, and inviting you to get lost in the ephemeral moments they capture. 

It was an intoxicating process for me to give in to the flow of exploring color, shape, layering and movement and allow the process to take the lead and let my mind spin, get entranced, or go fuzzy as I moved the pigment and water around the page. 

At one point while I was painting, a line of a poem began running through my head. Each of the paintings are titled after a section of the poem “I live my life in widening circles” by Rainer Maria Rilke.