I am a painter. I paint paintings and make sculpture and re-create. old unwanted books through the use of painting and drawing.

Book as object and art allows me to enhance what already exists. I’m both playful and serious when using serendipity and precision in cutting, manipulating, collaging and painting. All the books are unique, and usually graffitied, foxed, water damaged, or otherwise unwanted. This combines my love of language with visual and sensual art. Often the old paper, the smell, and the description of knowledge and poetry inspire what I paint; inversely what I paint may evoke more writing. from me – clear, barely legible or asemic.

The book is given new life. Previous words and images peek through or are covered with layers of paint, sometimes the narrative story is overlaid with more narrative. Each original page is inclusive to what I am painting. It folds or opens or lies flat; containing a time past below the surface of the present story I put upon it - each embellishment places history upon history. The changing nature of the paper and print underneath the paint is part of the character of each book.

Using paint in book form allows painting to be endless and sculptural, is the book a painting or is the painting a book? Each page is only one aspect of the painting, a mark or brushstroke. The open book - sometimes even the open and turnaroundable book - creates an open undefinable “book”.

Please enjoy browsing through these representative pages of books - paper or canvas, each unique.