My vision for my work, especially the recent series of cave paintings, is to have the viewer experience a feeling of being part of the piece, not a bystander.

I have a feeling about a painting before I start but am open to change the work in process. The Viking Petroglyph began as a whale boat and crew and ended as an ancient image of a Viking ship on a rock wall. I could not get excited about the whale boat but felt very much a part of the Viking ship. The feeling of the built-up rocks and their changing hues pleased me.

Recent works, build up with gesso, hard paste, gravel, found objects and layers of impasto oil paint form a realistic surface upon which the images become an integral part of the rock.

The process involves applying paint to the built- up surfaces, partially wiping it off while paint is wet and reapplying color, producing unique effects that “just happen”. The piece begins to paint itself.

There is now the latest work in which the same approach is made.  Urban Cave I   is set in a contemporary underground space with graffiti on the dank walls. This is the first painting in the series whose wall markings are not made by ancient visitors.

I think that we all want to leave something unique and personal that marks our passing.