“The Rememberings Series” explores human emotions, memories, and experiences with abstract compositions of colored rectangles of light. The spatial depth, color harmony, and color interactions of overlapping rectangles provide a visual volume for the observer to explore and investigate their inner world of emotions and memories. This is the series that currently occupies most of my focus.

I use layers of color to represent the emotional data within human memories. Humans rely on memories to recall and re-establish themselves, maintaining a consistent understanding of the “Self.” Peak memories link ourselves to a miraculous and otherworldly sense of reality, but we sometimes forget these shining and rare moments in life. I seek to recall these peak memories by creating luminous multi-layered fused glass for the observer to delve into. These intense colored layers are the bright shining moments of passion experienced in life that help us feel alive.

I use illuminated fused glass layers, illuminated multi-layered epoxy sheets, multi-layered oil paintings, and flat watercolor paintings to explore these ideas. I have been exploring these ideas within paintings for six years, and have since identified two main components for successful pieces: color harmony and perceived depth. Color interactions are also essential for these works to provide a window into the inner world of memories.

I start with analogous color harmony and sometimes add a touch of split complementary colors to contrast the hues. I set a specific hue as a home base for setting the tone; then, after setting an approximate composition and value, I intuitively utilize my years of color interaction studies to place colors with oil paints on canvas or watercolors on paper. Finally, I set layers upon layers of color to build up the depth of memories while considering their interactions throughout the entire piece. The paintings serve as jumping points, allowing me to explore similar color interactions in the fused glass and epoxy pieces, ultimately improving compositions in future works.

The compositions primarily utilize rectangles, eluding form, and subject matter and instead allow “The Rememberings” to remain abstract for untainted recollection of memories in the observer.  The observer is meant to find themselves lost in the memory’s space by perusing the color relations throughout the composition, wandering a maze of depth and subtle motion in color. These combinations should enable recollection and the re-experiencing of intense and important memories in one’s life, serving to invigorate the observer toward self-development. The goal is to create an atmosphere for the observer to recall essential portions of themselves, to inspire self-development using color harmony, color interactions, and perceived depth.