I observe and paint my reaction to the three F’s: Foolishness, Foibles and the Frailties of Human Behavior. I do not condemn but I do laugh at this behavior and insert humor (albeit dark) into the work. Often I substitute animals for humans because it makes our actions seem more absurd. I always keep in mind Sigmund Freud’s comment that “we ought not to exalt ourselves so highly as to completely neglect what was originally animal in our nature.” To a significant degree, I am painting myself.
I see a dangerous struggle everywhere. With the so called “lower animals”, this struggle, in nature, is for simple survival. For humanity there is added complexity. Freud once said that “we ought not to exalt ourselves so high as to completely neglect what was originally animal in our nature”. The consequences of our failure to heed this advice are of primary interest to me. I do not see my work as a condemnation of life. I simply observe the struggle on all levels and report it as I see it.