There is joy in life, joy in experience, joy in tragedy, for at least, one can shout, I am alive! I Feel! Along with this realization of this expression of experience, has come the idea that, as clear and solid as something feels to me, as something I see, when I close my eyes, it all changes, and life as I know it, is all illusion. It exists only as a memory.

Imagination takes over, and the perception from one experience to the next, from one day to the next is subjective upon all other happenings, both before and after. The numbers keep adding, the clicking of the accountant's calculator is never-ending, and there is still no final answer.

Some of the paintings you see here are direct expressions of the celebration of life, and its uninhibited strength. Some are also the embracing of one's demons, or an acknowledgment of one's accountability. Beauty and vulnerability combine to sing the praises of this existence on earth. My belief is that life is not about being the receiver of experience but being the active participant in the process.

We see what we wish to see, and our perception of our world is coloured by the limits of our perception of our self.

This group of works came about quite by accident. But as a believer that accidents are brilliant opportunities in disguise, I considered the path that appeared in front of me. Cherie Hanson, my dear friend, filled in as a draped life drawing model one Tuesday night in May. Because Cherie has an incredibly lively and animated face, that night I focused on her portrait, letting my thoughts run free, and just painting. What resulted that Tuesday evening was the core and life of this whole show. Through conversations with Cherie, I realized that she and I had many things in common, not the least of which is our philosophy about life, born from our joys, from our sadness, from our secrets. I also knew that she and I were not alone.

I have discovered that there are common experiences of my generation, with a carryover of one before, and one after. The epiphany for me was realizing that others share some commonalities, and our responses to these, introspective in our quiet times, are not at all diverse.

After I had done a series of portraits, absorbing the essence of her face, I did one more,
Cherie 6, and then felt ready to jump into the expressions of our experiences. It is at this point that Cherie, or rather her hair, became the symbol for me and other women who have something in common: our secrets, our sadness and our hopes.

Through various descriptions and portrayals, draped and undraped, masked and unmasked, the female form expressed has a vulnerability and a strength. Her life exists now and is only true as perceived by the viewer, within the painting as it is viewed. The gift of her existence is her connection with you. Even in her most vulnerable moment, she still has the power to choose her destiny, regardless if she sees this as possible. The goal was to express this existence, with the acceptance of the past, an understanding of the now, and a realization that a projection in to the next moment is possible.

I believe that life itself is illusion, just as these paintings are illusions. They are not real, but depictions of light and dark, colour and form, on a two dimensional surface. Our memories of our process of the concept of living are continuous, and time has no real external meaning. Our perceptions colour our actions and the paradox exists that it is all now what is real, and yet once experienced, it fades to memory. But memory is faulty and it too is an illusion.

So what is real? Our process. Our now. Where you are physically in the world is unimportant. It is where you are in your heart and soul that counts, and the acceptance and embracing of your life, including your angels and your demons, that makes you whole.

I welcome dealer inquiries.

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