“The Scales” was completed in 2007. It is mixed media, 22×28″ on canvas. There were a few goals in this piece. I was interested in the various shapes and the play of light on them with different light sources, emphasis on size and distance, using heavy darks and a nearly monochromatic palette, as opposed to much of my work being bright and colorful.

This was the first painting where I started intentionally with no plan or any preconceived idea. The idea was to begin a design out of the blue and let it take a life of its own to see where it went. I wanted to observe the phenomenon. At a certain point, the art did just that and I followed it through. This was the result. In my modern work, I usually have some sort of plan, but it is this one which led to the observation that a painting — any painting — will at some point seem to take over and become alive. I am very careful to observe this and do the right thing for the work. Sometimes this involves completely walking away from any earlier plans I had for it. This is featured as I feel it is important in the progression of my work.

(Click for detailed image)