I think this is it. I�ve been writing and writing. Pages upon pages, struggling to put what painting is to me down on paper, where my current inspiration lays. I think this reduction, a mere smattering of words is closest to what my artist statement should be. Any comments on grammar, punctuation, word choice, suggested revisions will be greatly appreciated. Hugs.

My current inspiration is derived from images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and my own belief that religion, faith; and science, reason are struggling to explain the same universal truths. I�m inspired by my faith as well as the working properties of my medium, acrylic paint, color, and surface. The cosmos is incomprehencible in it�s vastness. I can�t help but feeling that some of these images are glimpses of the creation itself. This sense of the seen and yet unknown, these images so vulnerable and yet so simultaneously powerful and grand, give birth to my work.

2/7/06
So, I�m back. I�m sitting in the quaint little nondescript dining room of Chopstix on Lomas and San Pedro, in Albuquerque NM. Yes, again. When, she says that is how you spell her name in English, is preparing a lovely special house green bean for me. I can�t wait to taste this bit of lusciousness. I�m sitting here, half hoping I�ll see Mr. Holcomb again. While I�m pretty sure my initial reaction is accurate. I�d still like to see him again for a 2nd evaluation of his sanity. Hahahahaha. I mean, he�s so cute. Oy, Madrigle, use your brain.

2/8/06

1. Why do I paint?
I paint alternately as a expression of my own personal spiritualality, or as response to my emotions.

2. How do I feel when the work is going well?
When my work is going well I feel something akin to a euphoria. Pure liquid joy washing over and through me.

3. What are some words or phrases that describe my work?
vibrant, seductive

4. What tool do I most enjoy working with? and Why?
Lately some of my favorite tools have been bottles with squeeze tips like you might find mustard or ketchup in. They are great for creating a network of dot like structures or poured puddles of transparent glaze. I�m also partial to a wide spackling knife and a edger designed for house painting that I use in a squeegee like fashion. These tools work well for me because they manipulate large passages of paint in a quick and efficient way leaving unique artifacts of their presence in the surface of the paint.

5. What subject do I most enjoy? and Why?
I most enjoy painting as a response to my own emotions. My work is more often less about subject and more about response to my emotions. The visual representation of my reaction to events in my life. I find incredible release and therapeutic value in laying out my emotions in veils of color. Lately my works have revolved around a more spiritual place and are a response to a very personal religious experience.

6. What do I like best about the creative process?
The creative process allows me to express ideas and emotions in a more eloquent way then the words that often fail me.

7. How do I know when a painting is going well?
Ironically when I reach a point where all seems lost. When I�m sure a piece is complete crap then I know if I can manage to push through this place I can find a piece that resonates hidden in the layers of paint.

8. What patterns do I find in my work? Commonalities?
I find that my work is increasingly dependent upon the paint itself. My marks are becoming thicker, impastoed layers of transparent pigment building upon each other. If I could I�d have transparent layers inches thick on my paintings.

9. How has my work changed over the months? years?
My work has evolved from thin veils of atmospheric like color to thick impastoed passages of paint. Pours and drips, remnants of dried paint from the pallet, or the dried rings of paint around a paint cap all find them selves into my work. Earlier pieces relied on compositional structures seen in Rothko�s work, now pieces often have a more open compositional structure, often the segmentation that occurs from using the ratio 1.618 is present in my work. Sometimes referred to as the divine proportion. I realize this idea is much contested.

10. What is my favorite color and why?
For me it�s more about color interactions, then colors. My favorite probably being between violet and yellow. A really sumptuous veil of violet with hot undertones of magenta is hard to beat.

11. What two words jump out as describing my paintings?
Vivid, Lush-surface.

12. Complete these statements in your own words . . .

When I work with acrylics, I am reminded that the outcome depends as much on happy accidents as it does on planned outcomes.

I begin a piece when I can see the piece fully realized floating in my mind.

I know a piece is finished when I�ve lived with it on my wall for a period of time, sometimes weeks, sometimes years. There comes a time when I just know, nothing further is needed.

When people see my work, I'd like them to engage in a dialogue about the piece, what it means to them, literally or metaphorically and then to try to imagine what my intentions in painting the pieces were.

And last but not least, answer these questions.

1. Why do I do the work I do? What are my goals and aspirations?

2. How do I make decisions about my work? How and why do I select materials, techniques or themes?

3. How did my current work grow out of prior work? What am I exploring, attempting, challenging?

Still working on my artist statement: I�ve been reading. A artist statement should include the who, what, where and why that you create art. I�m having dinner with the gallery owner next Wednesday. I�m still very confused as to whether this is dinner with a client he hopes to get in his gallery, or a dinner date. Sometimes I lack subtlety, the only thing I can think to say is �So, are we on a date, or are you interested in my art?� Um, yeah�no.

I am a native New Mexican working and living in Albuquerque. I believe growing up in the desert southwest with its harsh light and bold contrasts served to shape my artistic vision as an adult. I�m an artist that is very much in love with his materials. I�m always searching for that perfect mixture of acrylic mediums that behaves exactly the way I need in a certain passage of paint. Since moving back to New Mexico after a six year stay in Houston, TX my art has metamorphosed from early, thin, veils of color to what are now thick impastoed passages and pours of transparent paint. I�m interested in the physical separation of layers of pigment partitioned by thick pours or applications of transparent mediums. As a result of these techniques, I have become increasingly interested in the surface treatment of my paintings and how they relate to the fields of color. At one time my interest as a artist was solely concerned with color. My work has become more complex since moving back to New Mexico so that I am now concerned with surface, value schemes, as well as color.

I strive to represent vast cosmic atmospheres that are simultaneously evocative of a cellular microcosm. Early on, my work was primarily emotion motivated and reactionary to events in my life. I still paint this way, although Increasingly I also strive to represent a side of myself that is more spiritually grounded. The creation is a subject that has always resonated with me and an idea for witch I have always held an unwavering belief. I�m also a science minded individual with great admiration for the ideas laid out by Darwin, and his later intellectual offspring. To be quiet frank, I�ve never understood the disparity between the two ideas. My recent paintings are the direct result of a religious experience that has left me compelled to visually represent the creation.

2/9/06
I just left a workshop for a reading program for gifted kids. It was fun. I�m finding I like gifted teachers in general. We are a lively group. My path home from the workshop took me by my favorite new restaurant, so of course I�m sitting at Chopstix again. Tonight I�m having the Dah Lue Noodles. Delicios. A supple broth filled with black cloud ears, tomatoes, egg rags, and delicate slivers of pork. Just lovely.