Stories from Around the Ring /
These paintings were inspired by personal experiences and observations of human interactions. Some of the works use the subject matter of carnival events, while others evoke situations related to a circle or ring. The ring is a place where variations of highlighted events repeat themselves again and again. It evokes the merriment of childhood games and the brutality of boxing. The open-ended narratives suggested in the paintings invite viewers to connect the images to their own experiences. Moreover, these sometimes overtly comical looks at human behavior expose the absurdity in our lives as we pursuit things we never seem to find. The Spinner struggles to keep up with indecision, The Bean Counter obsessively sorts to create balance, and the Pony Girl slogs continuously in circles through the mud waiting for recognition. We all want our piece of the pie and maybe someone else’s if we can get it. We all find our own versions of carrots and sticks to motivate us enough to keep going as we fend off the gadflies in our way. We all want to be the lucky duck, but achieving that may require the courage to take a leap of faith while exposing our vulnerabilities.