ARTIST STATEMENT

I am primarily interested in painting as a window to self-reflection and expression rather than direct representation. My process when painting is not an attempt at realism, but rather a contemplation between observing my surroundings and reacting to my visual and emotional impulses.

I begin my paintings by referencing small studies made in nature as well as photographs to keep within the parameters of reality. I work liberally with oil or acrylic paint, often using palette knives to build up the surface of the canvas or panel. As I paint, I am constantly reassessing my intentions and actions. By deliberately re-working the surface, my hope is to unearth the more intrinsic concerns within the painting.

My most recent body of work is largely inspired by the majestic beauty found along the Californian coast. My focus in making these painting is to capture the lighting, local color, and atmosphere distinctive of the Bay Area and its nearby surroundings.

Regardless of subject matter- be it figurative or landscape- my intentions when making a painting are to explore the singularity of a “moment”. The capacity in which a painting can evoke a sense of familiarity, awaken a distant memory, or exact an emotional response within a viewer is a quality I hope will resonate in the work I create.

ARTIST C.V.

B. 1975

Education

1997  Bachelors of Fine Arts,
          University of California, Santa Cruz

Solo Exhibitions

2005- Waking Windows,
           The Hang Gallery,  San Francisco, CA
2003- Last Call,  
           The Hang Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2002- An Inspired Stillness,
           The Hang Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Group Exhibitions

2017- 2 Person show,
          Domain, Oakland,CA
2013- Art Explosion Spring Open Studios, 
           San Francisco, CA
2012- Art Explosion Spring Open Studios, 
           San Francisco, CA
2011- Rizal:150, Oakland Asian Cultural
           Center, Oakland, CA
2010- Twenty-Four Seven, Two Person Show,
           Hang Gallery, San Francisco,  CA
2009- Group Show,
            Hang Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2008- Group Show,
            Hang Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2007- Horses,
           SPUR Projects, Portola Valley, CA
2007- Work on Paper, Hang Gallery, San
            Francisco, CA
2006- Landscapes,
            Hang Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2006- Solitaire, Group Show,
            Hang Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2002- 2003- Group Show,
            Sway Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2001- Still Life,
           Canvas Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2000- Figurative Group Exhibition,
           Canvas Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1999- The Landscape,
          Base Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1997- Coastal Preservation Show,
          Atelier Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
1997- UCSC Irwin Scholar Juried Exhibition,
          Eloise- Pickard Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA

Awards and Publications

2009- Bringing Him Home                                      
           A Memoir by Aaron Cooper, cover art
1997- Irwin Scholarship,
         University of California, Santa Cruz, CA