The use of blur is central to my technique. It takes away the visual detail and sharpness that our eyes tend to crave and thus draws attention as our minds try to find clarity that isn’t present. At the same time, blur damps down distracting details, thus allowing what’s truly essential to emerge, gently yet powerfully.

I use composite images to provide contrast and complementarity, tension and release, oneness and  separateness, all of which contribute to a coherent whole.

These works present well at large, even architectural, scale; yet they are also remarkably powerful when small. I have learned that when a viewer is too close (or the image too large), the panels dominate while the background fades almost into non-existence. With distance, though, the background comes alive, resolving into a landscape with its own meaningful role in the composition. Distance also enhances the interplay between panels. As a result, a large image placed in a medium-sized room may lack impact, whereas a smaller piece similarly located truly can sing. My feeling is that with a piece that’s 24″ across, it’s best to make sure that viewers can stand 10 or so feet away. I hope that viewers are inclined to study my works closely and that they also have the opportunity to back off enough to experience each piece’s full impact.

My images are meant to be physical objects, printed rather than presented on a monitor. I like soft matte paper so the works have a dreamy quality almost like silkscreens. However, I’ve found that some demand the greater contrast and intensity of more traditional photographic papers. In addition, I try to avoid anything between viewer and image, so I rarely use glass or acrylic.

Thus far, my subjects have almost exclusively been landscapes. But who knows where my path leads…