studioe
The rotten trunk of a tree, still standing, its hollows filled with a stash for winter, also hosting unseen miles of mycelium: the necessary invisible background structure, from which, under the right conditions, coveted edible mushrooms appear, fleetingly. There is a porthole window through the tree, also, framing the sloping woods beyond. The dog, also a creature of habit, likes to take the same path whenever possible. The walk is usually at the same time of morning, so the light shifts slightly day to day. Occasionally, curious offerings can be found at the bases of certain trees. I look carefully, and notes are taken by a various means. The paintings unfold in the studio with minimal planning through a dredging of the memory of those notes, guided daily sketchbook drawing, occasionally from observation, but primarily through memory. The work is concerned with decay, accumulation, and the daily ritual of bearing witness to the transformation of the world over time. Memory acts as a filter and a channeling device to visually describe experience.