random thoughts:

It's playfully sensual to apply thick gesso with my hands. The marks of my hands create ridges and patterns  -  as if I'm desperately grasping  for something. In a strange way my hands create a self-portrait of my hands - a self portrait of me.

The origin of my Touch Series:  My show Coming Undone at Archway Gallery in September of 2014 consisted of 25 paintings and 7 photographs. These paintings were brightly colored, fairly tight, oil paintings. After the show I wanted to play. I looked around my studio and found all sorts of interesting materials. Instead of the small brushes I use for oil paint, I began using my hands to apply thick gesso onto the canvas. It was like a physical release. Then I applied layers and layers of various acrylic paints and mediums. The upper layers are diluted with medium so that the layers beneath are visible. I used iridescent, metallic and interference acrylic paints. My first 3 painting in this series were rather dark. Then I began to play with more color. These paintings have a physical depth to them. Light plays across the reflective surfaces and the shadows created by the thick texture. Their character is mercurial, changing as the light changes. 03.19.14