For me, the connection I make with models is most important in my work. How I portray the figures in my paintings is decided by the model and who they are to me. A model may even occasionally represent someone from my past. Kim is good at bringing girls from childhood to mind. These cousins, family friends, and ladies that sparked ideas in my life are now a part of my art story. Jordan inviting me into her life through her stories sparked my imagination. I combine my life with her life to create works of art. Kids wading in creeks are a combination of her stories and what I remember from my visits to my relative farms.
All my models have begun posing first for nudes. My passion with drawing the nude began at an early age. My passion for developing my drawing into a fine art form is what draws me to the person inside the model I am drawing. I have great respect for all my models. That respect grows with each session. Respect develops the lines and smudges I use to develop my drawing.
Nudes are more than breasts, hips and a cute buttock. Nudes are tendons in the wrist and behind the knees, veins crossing the pelvis, knee caps, crooked noses, breasts that have grown the health of a child. Models and art have changed the vision before me each time I work with the nude. My hand is sensitive to my thoughts - to what I learn from each model. The nude is a magical relationship between model and artist. We learn how to draw from teachers and books, but we bring passion and respect when we see ourselves.
