People often ask me where the ideas for my paintings and drawings come from. While I have a general idea of things that interest me, the specific way it appears is a series of surprises for me.
Some of the inspiration for these subconsciously fueled images come from my childhood and young adulthood. Watching cartoons from Tom and Jerry to Felix the Cat, reading comic books like Mad Magazine to Weirdo to Viz. Graphic novels by Edward Gorey and Alice in Wonderland were heaven to me. Catching an episode of Monty Python was the height of joy for me as an eleven-year-old. Drawn to the surreal and the absurd, anthropomorphic beasts from everywhere from Hindu Mythology to fairies from Celtic myths to talking crows in Aesop's Fables made their way into my thinking.
The illustrated writings in Fairy Tale Remnants are reverse engineered. The process creates the content of the painting. The finished painting dictates the story.
The search for where or how to begin the painting starts with music. Jazz, Blues, Rock, Classical, David Boeddinghaus, Arctic Monkeys, Paul Weller, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Sharon Jones, Amy Whitehouse, Tom Waits, it doesn't matter, it's about how I feel on the day.
Brushing, splattering, smearing glazes and washes of paint on the surface of a canvas or paper, I let the medium do what it wants and follow along — usually working on a few pieces at the same time. This intuitive process is where I'm just responding to what abstract shapes and colors intrigue me. Editing happens while I'm working in layers and drawing or painting over what has happened before.
Starting with a dark surface filled with random shapes and marks, I set a piece on the easel and stare at it. I do this for a long time, looking for what I see in the shadows. After looking long enough, the edge of a figure will creep out; I'll start to hunt for its form. I search for a long time, asking myself, "Who or what is this? What are they doing?" Quite often, I'm stunned to see who's shown up. Then the next question is, "Why are they here? Are they reacting to someone else?" As it turns out, the characters I discover wind up telling me what they want. In Fairy Tale Remnants, these characters end up acting in a comedic tragedy. Animals, sexy women, sumos, dreamers, villains, exasperated mothers, and misfits are chasing or running from the push and pull of fear and desire.
When I've finished a painting or a drawing, I put it away. Visually, I understand what's happening, but don't have the words to express its essence. It's similar to watching a ritual or shamanistic ceremony whose function is a secret but fills me with awe. Once I've been away from it and see it with fresh eyes, it's though I always knew what the fable or myth was, and allows me to find the words.
