In Frames of Mine I take the utmost care in painting still lifes that rely on evenly harmonized visual and metaphorical elements. I will only paint an object if it fits both criteria equally, and like any other painter my work is an extension of my tastes. In each piece I intentionally avoid extremes to reach a middle ground. Certain arrangements of objects can effectively tell a story, but can easily become obnoxious if the message is overt, and vice versa if a painting is an account of visual beauty and nothing else. I feel the most effective work applies both in equal measure that yields a mature, thoughtful work that feels right viscerally. On this underlying principle I can portray ideas I hold dear, pay homage to artists I deeply admire, and tell of past experiences in my life through the depiction of choice objects. I am consciously building a cult of personality through my work; a direct opposition to conventional modes of behavior that I feel garners only temporary appeal.

While the use of stretcher bars to ‘frame’ a still life began as a beneficial accident, it has evolved into much more. I paint only on panel so I am misusing the stretcher bars on some level. Rather than use them to construct a workable canvas, I use them to construct a working composition. Because these pieces are portraits of my inner self the frames further rectify this idea. Visually this aspect of the work presents itself clearly as many pieces are composed much like the way I would portray a sitter, centrally.

Aesthetical influence stems from Peter Dreher, Wayne Thiebaud, Piet Mondrian and numerous trompe l’oeil artists. These paintings are also a study of still life painting itself because I am incorporating so many different genres into my work. I am starting at the base where my formal art training had started, and where it generally starts for most artists throughout history. It starts at the still life, and this is my reexamination of this base.