For a long time I considered the universe to be some amazing place out there beyond the Earth's atmosphere; beyond my awareness and reach. Only recently has it occurred to me in a very tangible way that I am in the universe all the time, that this place where I sleep and eat and exist is the universe. It's had an interesting effect on my perspective on the things around me. I find myself exploring all the mundane details of a small area, wanting to know it intimately. So, the boundary for the images in this series of 11 paintings is the small yard around my current home in Durham.
Sometimes I find humor or meaning in something other than what is literally visually present. I am fascinated by the fact that these meanings are completely fabricated overlays created in my mind. It implies to me that each being really lives in his or her own uniquely interpretive version of the universe.
In limiting myself to the boundaries of my own backyard, I was curious about what variation I could find, as well as where my consistencies in interest and painting style would lie. I found that I am continuously drawn to lines, angles, and strong contrasts between light and shade. Beyond that, I also attend to whether things are natural or man-made, as well as how one's variable sense of self affects what one actually sees at any moment. The intersections between these physical and mental elements are especially interesting.
As I worked on these paintings, I found myself saying more with fewer brush strokes. The first painting made in the series ("Sidewalk Chalk") looks overworked to me now, while the last painting ("Shadows Where You Wore Away the Grass") feels much looser and represents the direction in which I am interested in heading as a painter. These paintings show only a fraction of the images in our yard that captured my attention.
