Artist Statement

My paintings are of urban environments at night time. I am especially drawn to the brief moment that occurs some evenings after the sun has set but before all the natural light leaves the sky. During this time the sky often turns magical shades of blue providing a contrast for the warmth of the city lights. The way light reflects off surfaces and the abstract patterns made by light in the darkness are central to my work. Like Whistler creating his nocturnes, I am always considering the minimum amount of light needed to define a scene.

These works are very small and intimate. I am literally and psychologically trying to contain the chaos of the city. I often use an exaggerated scale, such as a very tall and thin format or very wide and short. This scale results in capturing an abbreviated view of a larger scene and serves my attempt to reveal a slice of life – a brief moment in time.

I often fill my images with moving cars and faceless people, waiting for the bus, hurriedly crossing the streets, all on their way somewhere. But whether the scene is still and silent or bustling and noisy, my desire is to convey the lonely anonymity of urban living, that sense of being alone in a crowd.