SOLD / DRUMMER, EGYPT / ACRYLIC ON PAPER / 2022. On a trip to Egypt, I took a photo of a drummer's hands and completed this painting in acrylics later in my studio. I was captivated by the contrast of texture of the drummer's weathered hands and the drum itself, as well as the shadows and patterns of light on his plain, simple white clothing.
SOLD / SMILE OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS / 2022 / ACRYLIC ON PAPER. New Zealand has the largest Polynesian population outside the Pacific islands themselves. I am fascinated by Pacific Island cultures and communities around me here. This painting captures the lifetime of experience etched on the woman's face.
PREPARING FOR WEDDING /2028 / ACRYLIC ON PAPER / US$2200. My wife and I were invited to a family wedding in Kashmir, northern India. This painting captures the expression in the young woman's eyes as she contemplates her upcoming marriage. Kashmir is a land of extraordinary beauty, but recurring conflict between Muslims and Hindus has marred life there since 1947.
WOMAN CARRYING BOWL, RAJASTHAN / 2028 / WATERCOLOR ON PAPER / US$800. I was struck by wonderful colors in this scene during my visit to Rajasthan in 2004—the florescent pink of her clothes and the reflections in the metal bowl on her head against a textured desert background. I tried to capture the scratches and marks of hard labor on her hands and arms and the secrecy of her hidden face.
AKHA WOMAN WITH PIPE / 2023 / Acrylic on paper / $2400. 31" X 21.5", 78cms X 55cms. “Akha Woman with Pipe” was painted after time spent in the mountains of northern Thailand gathering research for my master’s thesis. Working from a sketch, reference photos and memories from my time there, I used a subdued palette and focused on the reds, silvers and dark green of her blouse against the silver greys of the background. I glued some real coins onto the paper to match the ones on her Akha head-dress and worked hard to capture the lines on her face and the texture of the old pipe.