The Concept of Time
The ancient Greeks had two words for time , chronos and kairos . While the former refers to chronological or sequential time , the latter signifies an opportune moment or a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action . While chronos is quantitative , kairos has a qualitative , permanent nature .
My paintings deal with the concept of “ time ”, the passage of time and its effects on our natural world . Whether depicting chronological time , marking passage of hours , days and seasons or an ancient age glimpsed through excavation , the painting process of adding , subtracting and careful editing is a metaphor for life ’ s timeline . Within the overall concept of “ time ” I have painted many series over the years . Inspired by travels to Greece and Italy in the 1993 , classical subjects were my vehicle to deliver this message for over a decade . I was intrigued by times long past , which we only know personally through ruins . My subjects were statues , columns and archaic buildings , rendered abstractly with mystery . The arch became an important symbol in my work .
Passage , encaustic , 36 x 36 inches , 2008
I believe this encaustic , Passage , the largest hot wax piece I had painted to date was a seminal painting in the transition to a new series upon moving to New Mexico .