Acrylic & Collage as a Living Surface

Acrylic and collage on canvas, wood panel or cardboard begins with surfaces that can hold more than paint alone.

They can hold layers, revisions, interruptions, and fragments of memory … the evidence of a hand searching for its next decision.

I am drawn to this medium because it allows me to remain open throughout the creative process.

Color choices are spontaneous, and often impulsive, but remnants of paper and torn edges cause me to slow down. Covered marks and impressions of glued-on bits still remain present beneath the surface.

The texture of collage becomes part of the painting's internal structure. It can shift a composition off center, create an architectural suggestion, or introduce a small weathered area that changes the emotional impression of the whole work. The result is a sensation of three-dimensional history, even when the painting has only just been completed.