IN THE EARLY 80's, I discovered the unique relationship between paper and oil-based paints. Unlike canvas, paper is delicate; it did not yield to working the colors. Color had to be applied where it would remain.

The process allowed me to work at my drawing table. There I began to work with knives rather than brushes. The knife allows me to create hard boundaries between subject and surrounding. By the nature of paper, the first colors down become the focus colors in the finished art. In some ways, it is very similar to painting on glass, where the artist often works from the underside of the finished image.

Once all the color is in place, the work is scraped down using a wide blade knife. The images I first applied to the paper remain in an impressive and powerful display of color. The resulting work is vibrant, emotional and colorful.

I try to work with color in the same way that language works with sound. I use colors for their emotion and for the feelings they give. Like in spoken language, emotion is controlled by my arrangement and use of color.