My Technique

My technique for painting has evolved over a period of 25 years, by experimenting with using natural forces to control the paint rather than traditional tools, such as a brush or a palette knife. The goal is to re-create the intricate and complex patterns of nature, in a purely natural way. In effect, to create a natural event on the canvas, by using the same forces that have created all life in the universe.

When I apply paint to the canvas I treat the paint as a living organism. Like all life forms, it evolves, grows and changes into something unique, with a complex organic structure. Applying forced air, vibration, gravity, water, and other chemicals to the paint, I work in harmony with the paint. Nurturing it and guiding it, but at the same time letting it evolve into its own form. Much the same way a single cell evolves into a plant or animal.

The goal is to end up with something that is naturally beautiful, by the process of its own creation, reflecting the complex and intricate life we all share. I use the basic laws of aesthetics and principles of design, to guide me through the process, but the end result is always somewhat unpredictable, making each painting totally unique and individual, very much like all forms of life.

Update June 2017

My technique has changed over the past year. I’m no longer using water to thin my acrylic paint, but rather acrylic bases and other chemicals to enhance the way the various paints mix together. I found that water, while thinning, also dilutes the acrylic foundation of the paint which effects the way various types of paint react to each other.