My work exists within the tradition of narrative figure painting, forming a contemporary extension of this classical format.

Focusing for periods of one to five years on a series, I often work with a specific narrative as a point of departure, using texts as diverse as the novels of Kafka, Yiddish folk tales and Cocteau's Les enfants terribles. In my newer series I have allowed the suggestion of narrative to develop naturally through the confluence of location and subject matter, with landscape figuring as a significant character. I focus on the evolution of dramatic interplay through the overlapping of characters that appear from painting to painting. I frequently use family and friends as characters, intertwining the complexities of their individual developments into that of the story.

My studio practice incorporates working from direct observation as well as working from photographs of scenes which I stage both indoor and outdoor using live models and costumes. The live action models provide immediacy and direct attention away from images which otherwise might become too generic. The process of working back and forth from model to photograph to canvas can continue for many months, creating a layering of reality and narrative interpretation.

Technically my work is based in the traditions of oil painting, providing a deep sense of continuity with the past. Recently I have focused on bringing line and gesture to the surface, inviting my audience to slip beneath the surface of the canvas and find their own narratives amongst the suggestions of place and character.

.

•