Presented by Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art

Artist’s Statement This new series of abstract paintings is a departure for me in that I limited my palette to black and white. While this could have been a restriction, it actually inspired me to express a new language. It provided me an opportunity to investigate a world of shades of gray where value and contrast became as important as color. The first paintings started with my loose interpretations of Oriental calligraphic symbols representing “Beginner’s Mind”. As I applied layers of gesso and black oil paint of varying consistencies, the interaction of the oil/water mixture became the basis for further exploration. Brushing, scraping, dripping, layering and scratching with mark-making techniques and tools led to a dialogue between me and what developed on the canvas. For the viewer, there is no right way to interpret the work; no hidden meaning. Objects appeared and disappeared in the process, revealing and reflecting my physical surroundings, memories and emotions of the moment. Some paintings are a collection of vignettes; others are figurative or reference the landscape. Coastal waters, marshes, birds, fish, boats, the city, the desert, mountains and the like creep into my visual journals. As also does the unknown. Like life, not knowing where this experience will lead is part of the beauty and mystery of approaching each blank canvas with a beginner’s mind. “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.” -- Shunryu Suzuki