Fire Water - Acrylic on Canvas, 48" x 72", 1989
"Fire Water" is painted from a combination of my childhood memories of life in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, and from a dream of a horse with feathers and equations marking its body. Recently, I decided to look for photographs from that era in Viet Nam, included here.
"Fire Water" is painted from a combination of my childhood memories of life in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, and from a dream of a horse with feathers and equations marking its body. Recently, I decided to look for photographs from that era in Viet Nam, included here.
Statement
My creative works are inspired by dreams, visions, and pop culture. Brightly colored narrative works are the result of a lifetime of translating my innermost visions into my art practice.
The dream vision paintings began in the 90's. The first of these paintings titled "Snapshot, Dream Vision, You Are My Best Friend" was inspired by a dream I had the night my Grandmother Montana Snow passed away. In the dream, I was guiding her to a place of rest, a stream in the desert, to lay her bones to rest.
My works begin as a sketch to document the details of the dream vision. It's a combination of imagery and memory that compel me to further develop an idea, sometimes combining ideas to create a finished work. I also incorporate pop culture, symbology, and autobiographical elements into my works.
One of my earliest memories is from a dream vision in 1964. My father, an Army Colonel, was being relocated to Saigon, Viet Nam. At that time, Officers were still allowed to bring their families. I had a vivid dream the night before our big move. I was playing in a sandbox in a cave, suddenly, King Kong entered the cave and I looked up to see my family driving away. As an adult, I realized the dream was a manifestation of my fears of the unknown. After our move to Viet Nam, I began sketching. I was five years old and I knew I wanted to be an artist.
I began making frames for my paintings in the early 90's. I experimented with small toys, bottle caps, scraps of wood, faux gems, real gems, buttons, figurines, trophies and other cast offs; attaching the objects to a simple wood frame. Gold paint transforms the recognizable objects into something surreal. The frames are a collection of objects that represent memories of childhood, travels and dreams.
The dream vision paintings began in the 90's. The first of these paintings titled "Snapshot, Dream Vision, You Are My Best Friend" was inspired by a dream I had the night my Grandmother Montana Snow passed away. In the dream, I was guiding her to a place of rest, a stream in the desert, to lay her bones to rest.
My works begin as a sketch to document the details of the dream vision. It's a combination of imagery and memory that compel me to further develop an idea, sometimes combining ideas to create a finished work. I also incorporate pop culture, symbology, and autobiographical elements into my works.
One of my earliest memories is from a dream vision in 1964. My father, an Army Colonel, was being relocated to Saigon, Viet Nam. At that time, Officers were still allowed to bring their families. I had a vivid dream the night before our big move. I was playing in a sandbox in a cave, suddenly, King Kong entered the cave and I looked up to see my family driving away. As an adult, I realized the dream was a manifestation of my fears of the unknown. After our move to Viet Nam, I began sketching. I was five years old and I knew I wanted to be an artist.
I began making frames for my paintings in the early 90's. I experimented with small toys, bottle caps, scraps of wood, faux gems, real gems, buttons, figurines, trophies and other cast offs; attaching the objects to a simple wood frame. Gold paint transforms the recognizable objects into something surreal. The frames are a collection of objects that represent memories of childhood, travels and dreams.
