Dance expresses an incredible sense of life and movement. Observing and drawing from dance has been a focus of my art for over 49 years and has evolved many styles and iterations. Capturing the gesture and pose of human movement is challenging. Freezing the body’s form to capture its essence with just a few abstract lines is an art in itself. The human form is never still but in a continuous state of motion. My paintings are not unlike a calculus of form in time and space, a calligraphy, or fluid hieroglyphics. Color, texture and layering appropriate a cultural artifact of movement and expression.
My latest works evolve from a 2022 workshop with Groundworks Dance Theater in Cleveland, Ohio. I studied rehearsals and performances by the dancers, whose innovative moves inspired even more free flowing calligraphy and further development of the body languages I work
with. Combined with the dancers/marks, my works synthesize time/place, rhythmic form, and visual energy. I hope these artworks inspire viewers to feel the full juxtaposition of life, music, and dance as I “catch the joy as it flies.”
