In Our Own Image - Statement

Two important and distinctly different trips provided the inspiration for my Madonna and Buddha series.

In the winter of 2004 I had the opportunity to be in Berma (now called Myanmar, although still popularly referred to as Burma). The reclusive nature of the country and its dictatorship certainly colored my impressions. The Buddhas, which represent centuries of devotion and merit, became the background landscape for all my experiences there. I felt them as figures of compassion and I found this same quality in the population.

Later that year, traveling in Italy, the Madonnas of Piero Della Francesca provided a counterpoint. These Madonnas, classic and regal, reflected an inner state as well, a calmness at the center. As I continued to draw and paint both the Buddha and the Madonna repeatedly, I too was coming to my center.

While the imagery, gold leaf and gilded frames make reference to religious art, the unusual juxtaposition of Buddha and Madonna require a fresh look at what these images stand for. My intent was to paint images of compassion, to make an enduring work of art. In titling the series "In Our Own Image" the viewer is invited to think on these qualities as well.