About the Process

One of the most satisfying techniques I have been using for my painting is a process that begins with pen and ink sketches like these, done quickly and with no model. I find a kind of freedom in jumping into a sketch with no preconceived idea for a subject. When a drawing is created in this way, I feel that the picture and I are working together.

I try during this first stage to draw from my subconscious, letting my hands be vehicles for that which wants to be created. After the sketches are made, I put them away. It is best to do several of these in one sitting for the most spontaneous outcome, resulting in a stream of consciousness effect.

When I want to start a painting I will review these drawings and select two or three to think about, and finally begin my painting with the most appropriate one and chose a size, that of its best with the mood, medium, and color scheme of the original sketch. When the painting is completed, I hope to capture the Zen quality of the quick pen and ink with the more elaborate brushwork and color of the finished painting to achieve a playful mood. The subjects of the paintings, subsequently resemble caricatures as a result of the rapid line drawings, correlating with the whimsical feeling of the pieces.