“nothing which we are to perceive in this world
equals the power of your intense fragility”
— e.e. cummings

My oil paintings, The Human Monochromes, are a series of contemplations in which I embrace the graces and flaws of the human figure. These contemporary figurative explorations reference the classical sensitivity of Michelangelo and Da Vinci’s drawings and studies, while capturing the ineffable vulnerability and strength contained in the human gaze.

Beginning with a traditionally gessoed wood panel completely covered with sienna oil pigment, I use rags and brushes in a subtractive process during which I capture the immediacy of the live model with a strong sculptural approach. I purposefully retain the rawness and honesty contained in the moment by embracing imperfections — in the human form, in the surface and in the movement of pigment.

These captured moments reflect subtle gestures that unclose windows within us and offer views as intimate as watching someone breathe.