The Essays

There are paintings that end up on the wall.

Then there is everything that happens before they get there.

That's what these essays are about.

I didn't start writing because I thought my paintings needed explaining. I started writing because I realized there were conversations surrounding the work that couldn't happen on canvas alone. Painting has a language. Writing has another. Together, they tell a more complete story.

For years I stood behind a camera documenting musicians, artists, and the moments that existed just outside the spotlight. I became fascinated by the things most people never saw. The rehearsal instead of the performance. The quiet conversation instead of the headline. The miles between cities instead of the destination.

Painting didn't change that.

It simply gave me a different way to explore it.

More Than Paint

Every painting begins long before the first mark is made.

It begins with paying attention.

The way light falls across a wall. The texture left behind after something has weathered. The rhythm of a crowded room. The silence after live music ends. Conversations. Places. Travel. Memory. Loss. Curiosity.

Those experiences accumulate over time until they become impossible to ignore.

Eventually they find their way into the work.

These essays are about everything that happens before that moment.

An Ongoing Conversation

Some of what you'll find here is personal.

Some of it is practical.

Some essays explore painting, creativity, collecting, galleries, Austin's contemporary art community, and the business of being an artist. Others examine observation, process, atmosphere, music, memory, and the experiences that continue to shape my work.

None of them are meant to tell you what a painting means.

Meaning belongs to the person standing in front of it.

These essays simply offer another way into the conversation.

Why I Write

I've always believed that curiosity is more valuable than certainty.

The older I get, the less interested I become in easy answers.

I'd rather ask better questions.

Why does one painting stay with us while another disappears from memory?

Why do certain places continue to influence us years after we've left them?

Why does texture matter?

Why does scale matter?

Why does original art still matter?

Many of these essays began because I couldn't answer those questions for myself.

Writing became another way of looking.

Beyond the Studio

This library isn't only about my paintings.

It's also about the world they exist within.

You'll find essays about collecting contemporary art, visiting galleries, discovering Austin's art community, living with original artwork, and building a meaningful relationship with contemporary painting.

Art doesn't end when it leaves the studio.

It continues in homes, museums, galleries, public spaces, and in the lives of the people who choose to spend time with it.

That part of the story deserves attention too.

Made to Wander

This isn't a book meant to be read from beginning to end.

It's a library.

Start wherever your curiosity takes you.

You may arrive through Understanding Abstract Art, Austin Art Galleries, Building a Meaningful Art Collection, or Why I Paint Abstractly.

You may begin with From Witness to Maker or The Labor Behind the Myth.

There isn't a right path.

Follow the ideas that resonate.

Ignore the ones that don't.

Come back later.

See what feels different.

That's exactly how this work was made.

The Work Continues

The paintings will continue to change.

These essays will too.

As my work evolves, so will the questions I'm asking.

That's the point.

I don't think creativity is about reaching a conclusion.

I think it's about remaining awake to the world around you.

If these essays encourage you to spend more time looking, questioning, collecting, or simply paying closer attention, then they've done exactly what I hoped they would.

Welcome.

I'm glad you're here.