The Ice Rink / 15" x 20" charcoal, pastel, acrylic on board

Charcoal is a very forgiving medium that allows my natural obsessive/compulsive side a way to thrive. With little to no anticipation of the outcome, I use the broad side of a stick of this black chalk and cover my entire drawing surface in random, rhythmic strokes.  I depend on the fact that most marks made in charcoal are easily blended and make for a wide range of exploration with their flexibility. At a certain point in the process of discovery my hand becomes my brain. It’s almost innate. There are incidents where I have been able to visualize the final work in these first gestural moments, while other compositions can elude me for long periods of time.

More often than not the spaces that emerge from my process are large scale and public in nature. Why? I am not sure