I explore the environment that surrounds me, taking notice of the abstract qualities that are found within it: graffiti, paint drippings, crumbling walls or steps, even the knots on a tree.  I rarely photograph what catches my eye in its entirety.  I choose to photograph parts of it, making an initial graphic image of my own creation.

 

Once the digital images are stored on my computer, I choose a base image that interests me from which to work.  Inspired by the abstract work of Kandinsky and his combinations of shape, color, and line, I start to composite other images on top of the base image.  I blend layers and erase parts that don’t fit with the overall feel of the image that I am creating.  I “paint” by combining the various images in my repertoire until I arrive at a composition that speaks to me that it is complete.

 

All of my images contain some elements generated by other humans, whether that be the tag of a graffiti artist, the splatter of a painter on the wall, or the decoration of a designer on a door.  They all become unknowing participants in the creation of my images and their art becomes my art.  By incorporating the work of others, I speak to the universal connection between all forms of life in the universe.  The abstract nature of my work allows the viewer to insert themselves into the image and find their own meaning and impressions from the work, thereby furthering the universal connection.