ArtistsNetwork.com 13Creating with the intent to advance
a story in a visual way involved a lot
of thought—and a deep understand-
ing and appreciation of the story.
Th at kind of artistic focus and
implicit consideration led to my
present-day style of painting, enabling
me to avoid the average portrayal and
to think outside the box. In some of
my paintings, there’s a thin line
between fi ne art and illustration.
Currently, the painting style I’m
most attracted to is realism. Although
any painting with great design, bal-
ance and color appeals to me, hyper-
realism hits the high note. Even bet-
ter is hyperrealism with a narrative—
a story that exists beyond the actual
painting. In my experience, the com-
bination of the two can be more
compelling to the viewer—and more
satisfying to create as an artist.
Here’s a timeline (pun intended)
showing how I’ve come to explore
the concept of time in a narrative
way for more than a decade. I’ve
found it an endlessly contemplative
theme to ponder and pursue in my art-
work in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.2009
I began painting timepieces with
a work entitled Guardians of Time
(opposite). During one of my many
treks in search of an interesting
subject, I discovered these pocket
watches in a display case, neatly
laid out, each one nonworking yet
displaying its own unique time. Each
was once connected to an individual
who used it daily to plan his or her
life. And so begins the narrative of
these paintings.2010
As my collection of timepieces
increased, so did my desire to paint
them. I created Refl ections (above left)
at the start of the new decade by
surrounding two vintage clocks with
mirrors to refl ect the sunlight. Th e
creation of the abstract light refl ectionelevated the clocks into a “Golden
Globes” event, resulting in a more
visually stimulating painting. Imagine
the clocks devoid of the refl ections.
Th ey wouldn’t appear all that interest-
ing. Paintings with a narrative usually
command a viewer to pause, contem-
plate and dream up possibilities.2012
Th e thought of time passing became
a theme in 92 (above right), a paint-
ing of my mother, who had dementia
and was approaching the end of her
life. My initial thought was to create
a painting that would highlight her
experience at that stage of her life.
At the time, I was also working
on a series of paintings that were
polka-dot themed, so I began with that
concept. I placed the vintage clock in
her hands to suggest the impending
end of life. Th e background of con-
nected polka dots suggests memories;
the fading polka dots imply memories
lost. My mother lived to be 94.Refl ections (2010; watercolor on paper, 24x19¾ ) 92 (2012; watercolor on paper, 24x20)