Freeing artwork from the frame.
1/ Over the years, collage has helped me to develop my vision. "Negative Space" begins the year 2016 that is totally focused on collage.  Torn artworks of 140# cold pressed Arches watercolor paper from my archives.  Studying this piece and seeing the power of the negative space focuses me on the relationship between the layers. There are at least three paintings in "Negative Space,"  The pieces are put together with pH neutral medium and mounted on 1/4" plywood. Hardware attached for hanging 2/ "Greater Than Square" was the second in this current series which began with the large "Negative Space". This collage, "Greater Than Square" demonstrates the power of removing my brush oriented artwork from a rectangle. It has been coated with pH neutral medium and mounted on 1/4" plywood. Hardware attached for hanging.
3/ A more recent collage, "Finding Expressive Means", done in the fall of 2016, continues to show the expressive capability of assembling torn paper.

I continue to explore the addition of found materials to my paintings. The scope of my creative endeavors expands to include assisting inner city artists to find opportunities outside of their local communities.
This year during the Artscape Gallery Network I created a project entitled "Cross This Line" showcasing seven Baltimore artists of color, most of whom had never exhibited their work away from home. Also invited were five established artists, myself included, to introduced artistic disciplines that make the life of an artist so rewarding. Endeavors such as critiques and discussions about art in general, sharing perspectives, visits to art exhibits, interaction with other artists to identify skills for marketing and networking.
They have now tasted the many opportunities in Baltimore City, are learning to promote their own work, apply for exhibition opportunities and have developed a network for support.
Another artist, Kini Collins and I, established a workforce development program aimed at a broader range of inner city adults. We established and have begun East Side Works (ESW) in which we are creating a small business together with five adults to give our workers the confidence and skills needed to launch their own small businesses. We have applied for and received a grant and have crowdfunded nearly our entire operating budget for 14 weeks.
The mission of East Side Works is to produce affordable and trusted hand-made products that are created locally in East Baltimore by a diverse, collaborative workforce.

Determined to peel away layers and reveal the basis of my art, this year was focused on allowing a glimpse behind the veil by showing only the base layer of my paintings.

Revisiting the imaginary rowhouse imagery, refreshes my instincts for drawing.

Before I created the paintings that are now part of my Contemporary Movements collection, I reflected on the nature of my previous works. The large canvas of 2007-2009 were full of activity and dense brush strokes. At the time of those works, I had many ideas and feeling that I projected onto the canvas. These thoughts and emotions were at times, vibrantly alive and sometimes chaotic.

These works, though well-received, lacked the joy and playfulness of past my past works. It took some digging, but after studying my collections, style and process, I found my bliss again.Artifact was the first painting in the new series. With its simplistic nature, Artifact has renewed the spirit with which I began my career. It brings excitement and energy back to my brush and soul. When I step back from the canvas I appreciate the circle of life and my experiences.

After focusing on language and movement within the urban landscape, I allow my work to find a new direction. My attention shifted to more fanciful realms and objects, the spaces in between and various nuances within these areas.

These figurative and geometric works, painted in 1997, embody my initial impressions of my newly adopted city -- Baltimore.

These collective works have recently been christened, The Metro Aesthetic because of the ease with which they blend into a chic urban setting. During their creation, I dubbed the series, Seeking Language. This collection represents a study of the varied ways people communicate with each other. Whether through witty banter, fluid conversation, or sound bites run amok, these paintings are an attempt to capture every syllable, on an array of levels.