Welcome to my Studio

Join my inner circle for first looks at new works.

The artistic journey for me is characterized by deep passion for self-expression and desire to push boundaries where new ideas and inspiration resides. The world is a playground for translating experience into artistic language expressed through creative mediums like painting, sculpting, writing, dancing, and performing. The life of an artist can resemble a rollercoaster ride. Perseverance and persistence are essential. Life as an artist is not for everyone. Arm chair critics are everywhere eager to pounce with opinions. Rejection and criticism form a crucible for character and determination for those possessing the drive to become an artist. The road to success is difficult to measure. Financial uncertainty gives rise to self-doubt. A nagging revulsion stems from creating works for financial reward at the expense of creative freedom. I find personal expression far less burdensome than painting for a commission. Expectations frequently hinder the creative process.

My formative years were devoted to continual sketching and drawing. I was offered a scholarship for art upon graduation from high school but entered the military during the Vietnam conflict. Soon thereafter my thoughts were preoccupied with providing for my family. Securing work in fields unrelated to art and can invite difficulties for artistic personalities. Imagine the frustrations when seeing your ideas ridiculed and rejected when perceived as inconsistent with the status quo. I find partial expression through stints in interior design, factory design, point of purchase displays, trade show exhibits, illustrating and even cartooning. Nevertheless, my job description was never in art and my passion for artistic freedom was continually denied.

I can personally attest to the dynamic and fulfilling journey of art as well as the unique challenges and frustrations. My style of painting is a race between capturing inspiration and inevitable habituation from spending too much time on the same canvas. I frequently paint over earlier works and the challenge for me is deviating from the original painting. The mind remembers the original object and will unconsciously seek to repeat the original painting for cognitive consistency. This tendency is well documented in theories of cognitive dissonance. The mind locks in on an image and resists efforts to change it. Although I have explored art in several genres, I favor abstracts because they offer unique journeys of self-discovery. Landscapes and portraits duplicate objects, a process I find tedious and boring. Although everyone can certainly identify with the painting of a tree, abstracts continually evoke novel images from unique experiences inherent to each invididual.

In looking back I now realize the continual frustration, challenges and criticisms associated with working outside of my niche led me to the study of psychology. I readily delved into the various disciplines in psychology and eventually earned a doctorate in the area of cognitive dissonance. I was fascinated by the principles of Gestalt Psychology with emphasis on perceptions. Manipulating images, shapes and colors artists provides a platform for evoking powerful emotions in others. I am profoundly grateful I can now devote countless hours in my art. My studio windows face a forest and feels like an aerie perched high atop a tree providing unimpeded vistas and fodder for my imagination to soar.

Ultimately, life as an artist is an ongoing journey of self-discovery, self-evaluation and evolution. Like Robert Frost’s “Road Not Taken,” the path for an artist requires a deep commitment to perseverance, willingness to take risks, and the ability to embrace both the successes and the challenges along the way. Despite the inherent difficulties, the artistic life proved a worthy goal and provides me with immense joy and fulfillment. I paint almost every day. My humble wish is for my art to make a lasting impact on others long after I have moved beyond this mortal realm.

Creativity Realm

The importance of exploring underlying mechanisms:

The Creative Process: Several stages have been identified in the creative process. These typically include preparation (gathering information and knowledge), incubation (allowing ideas to develop unconsciously), illumination (the “aha” moment of insight), and verification (evaluating and refining the idea).
Divergent Thinking: Divergent thinking involves generating multiple solutions or ideas by exploring different perspectives, making novel connections and defying conventional patterns of thinking. Divergent thinking is associated with fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration of ideas.
Creative Personality: Personality traits such as openness to experience, curiosity, willingness to take risks, and tolerance for ambiguity are linked to creative thinking. Expertise and motivation also play important roles.
Environmental Factors: Factors like supportive and stimulating surroundings, exposure to diverse experiences, collaboration with others, and access to resources enhance creative thinking. Restrictive or highly structured environments may hinder creative expression.
Domain-Specific Expertise: Mastery of a particular field or domain provides a foundation for generating innovative ideas and making meaningful contributions.
Creative Blocks and Enhancers: Creative blocks arise from factors like fear of failure, self-doubt, or excessive pressure. Factors like intrinsic motivation, autonomy, positive feedback, and a supportive social network facilitate creative expression.
Cognitive Processes: Cognitive processes underlying creativity include associative thinking, pattern recognition, analogical reasoning, and problem-solving strategies. These processes emphasize the ability to connect seemingly unrelated ideas, reframe problems, and approach challenges from multiple angles.
Creative Development: Creativity can be developed and nurtured through deliberate practice, exposure to diverse stimuli, and the cultivation of certain mindsets and habits. Encouraging exploration, curiosity, and a willingness to take risks supportd the growth of creative abilities.

Creativity

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” – Albert Einstein

Creative Expression

Rollo May was an influential American existential psychologist who explored the concept of creativity within the realm of human existence. May believed that creativity is an essential aspect of human nature and a crucial force for personal growth and self-realization.

According to May, creativity is not limited to artistic endeavors but encompasses all aspects of human expression, including problem-solving, decision-making, and the ability to create a meaningful and authentic life. He emphasized the importance of creative expression as a way to confront and transcend the existential challenges of existence, such as anxiety, meaninglessness, and the fear of death.

May believed creative processes are rooted in the individual’s ability to embrace and accept their own unique identity, experiences, and emotions. He emphasized the role of courage in creativity as individuals must confront their fears and step into the unknown to fully express themselves and discover new possibilities. Frequently I find myself at an uncomfortable juncture in painting striving to make sense of the product. Working through the awkward doubt is an important step in expressing creativity.

May also highlighted the significance of solitude and reflection in nurturing creativity. He argued that solitude allows individuals to delve into their inner world, connect with their deepest desires, and tap into their creative potential. In this sense, creativity becomes a means of self-discovery and self-actualization. I completely agree. My art studio faces a forest where my conscious mind can slip into neutral allowing my unconscious energies to guide my brush. Seldom do I create a sketch or approach a canvas with a preconceived image in mind. I start with a few brush strokes and see where they lead.

Overall, Rollo May’s work on creativity emphasized its central role in human existence, urging artosts to embrace their authentic selves, confront existential challenges, and engage creative expression as a pathway to personal growth, meaning, and emotional fulfillment.

“Creativity is the courage to eschew knowns and embrace infinite unknowns.”

Intuitive Art

“Intuition is the whisper of the unconscious mind hearkening endless possibilities.”

Intuitive art refers to artistic expression emphasizing spontaneous and instinctive creation of artwork. Often intuitive processes are characterized by reliance on unconscious emotions and subliminal thoughts in contrast to following strict rules or predefined techniques.

Intuitive art becomes a personal journey of self-discovery and self-expression. The unconscious mind becomes a guide embracing a sense of freedom and improvisation. The approach is not without discomfort. Frequently letting go of traditional approaches to art can cause doubt. The mind continually seeks cognitive consistency with the known over the unknown. Nevertheless, the intuitive approach overcomes the comfort and safety of traditional perceptions in favor of unique and unconventional shapes, symbols and forms.

Intuitive artists frequently work with paint, clay, collage, or mixed media to express their creative impulses. The approach is kown to encompass vibrant colors, bold brushstrokes and experimental techniques conveying unique emotions and experiences. The focus is on the act of creation rather than the final outcome or achieving a familiar representation. The final work can represent surprising insights and cognitive growth.

Psychology in art examines how thoughts, emotions, and perceptions influence the artist’s creative process as well as viewer interpretation and response to art on both consciously and unconsciously. Key points include the following:

Emotional Expression: Art is a powerful medium for expressing and communicating emotions. Artists use various techniques, colors, and imagery to evoke a diverse gambit of emotional response in viewers. Simply put, viewers form a new synthesis of cognitions from exposure to art.
Symbolism and Meaning: Art is rich in symbolism, allowing artists to convey complex ideas or messages. Psychological theories such as psychoanalysis suggest artists may project unconscious thoughts and desires into their work interpreted and analyzed in a similar fashion by viewers.
Perception and Perspective: Artists experiment with different perspectives and visual illusions to challenge the viewer’s perception. Principles of depth perception, color theory, and visual processing like closure, proximity, figure ground and pragnanz combine with memories and prior experience to influence art interpretation.
Art Therapy: Psychology and art intersect in the field of art therapy utilizing artistic expression as a therapeutic tool. Art therapists help explore emotions, promote self-expression, and facilitate personal growth for healing. Art also facilitates creative expression contributing to feelings of catharsus and well being,
Aesthetics and Beauty: Psychology examines how individuals perceive and evaluate beauty and aesthetics in art. Factors such as symmetry, color preferences and the impact of cultural and individual differences on aesthetic judgments are explored. In short, the viewer enters into a cognitive contract, contributing dynamically to the artistic experience through their thoughts, feelings and beliefs.
Influence of Context: Art interpretation is influenced by cultural, historical, and social contexts. Psychology helps explain contextual elements shaping understanding and appreciation of artworks including prevailing paradigm and zeitgeist influences.
Artistic Process and Creativity: Psychology delves into the creative process and the factors contributing to artistic inspiration and innovation. Processes such as divergent thinking, problem-solving and imagination underscore how artists generate novel ideas to produce unique artworks.

Overall, psychology in art offers insights into the psychological dimensions of artistic creation, perception, and interpretation. Creating art and experiencing art enhance understanding of the human experience, emotions, and cognitions through the lens of visual expression. I believe art is a moving center of a creative wheel without limit or circumference. For me, art provides a vehicle for creative expression as well as a source for vitality, inspiration and a sense of child like wonder emotionally therapeutic as the creative journey progresses from blank canvas to finished work.

Gestalt psychology is a school of thought focusing on how humans perceive and make sense of the world around them. It emphasizes the importance of holistic perception and the organization of visual elements into meaningful patterns. The principles of gestalt psychology describe the ways in which our minds organize visual information.

Figure-Ground Relationship: Perception naturally segregates visual stimuli into a foreground (figure) and a background (ground). We tend to focus on the main object or figure while the surrounding elements form the background.
Law of Proximity: Elements appearing close to each other are perceived as a group or a unified whole. We perceive objects that are near each other as belonging together and forming a single unit.
Law of Similarity: Similar elements are grouped together. Objects sharing similar shape, color, or size are perceived as belonging to the same category.
Law of Closure: We mentally complete or fill gaps in incomplete figures to perceive them as whole objects. Our minds fill in missing information to create closure, allowing us to see complete shapes even when parts are missing.
Law of Continuity: We perceive lines or curves following a smooth, continuous path as belonging together. Elements aligned in a smooth, flowing manner are perceived as a single entity.
Law of Symmetry: Symmetrical objects are perceived as organized and harmonious. We tend to perceive symmetrical shapes as complete and stable, even if some parts are hidden or incomplete.
Law of Common Fate: Elements moving in the same direction or having common visual attributes are perceived as a group. We perceive objects that share a common motion or behavior as belonging to the same unit or category.

You will undoubtedly find Gestalt principles present in my art to varying degrees. Gestalt psychology helps explain how perception is not simply a summation of individual elements, but a process of active organization and interpretation within the brain. I trust you will enjoy the interplay of gestaltens included both consciously and unconsciously in my art. I paint fast and rely on intuition in contrast to a deliberate, formalized expectations. For me, the journey is one of anticipation and de nu mon, awaiting the final unraveling of the plot after the final brush stroke. Frequently I return to a finished work with new insights, suddenly perceiving forms, figures and order not apparent to me during the painting process.

Please note I generally do not entitle my paintings. In prior days I have my paintings nonsense names for a reason; I am reluctant to steer the perceptions of the viewer to a preconceived conclusion. Viewers come from different backgrounds and offer a rich panoplay of fresh observations. Paintings take on new life in the unbridled cognitions and inner landscape of viewers. This interplay between the artist, the painting and the viewer creates a truly transformational object de arte.