I am most interested in moments where subject matter and paint collide—when figuration conveys a sense of urgency, and refinement is overruled by directness. At the start, there is no direction, or subject, or context. Painting is about figuring out these things. I question what I make, and the analysis leads me through creation, abandonment, and transformation. The forms emerge and dissolve, becoming embedded or hidden within layers of paint that are deposited over time. They co-evolve with their meaning, recognizing each other as counterparts. The figure offers the opportunity for us to see ourselves—a slice of our humanity. The figures in my paintings are ultimately personal totems, but they also act as intermediaries, leading the viewer to the complicated space between personal narrative and collective experience.