“I was pirouette and flourish,
I was filigree and flame.
How could I count my blessings
when I didn't know their names?”

When creating an abstraction, I tend to let a single word roll around in my thoughts as I work. In this case, the word "filigree" came to mind as I prodded layers of paint in a chaos of arabesques.

Filigree is usually a delicate embellishment in which fine, pliable threads of precious metal are twisted or curled into a design and then soldered onto (or into) the jewelry. These designs can take the shape of gorgeous scroll-work, lacy flourishes, symmetrical Art-Deco style designs, and other fascinating motifs.

In this work, I chose to contradict the expectation of orderly fancy ornamentation and invite the viewer to descend into a shallow lattice-work of non-repeating idiosyncratic marks as though the orderly design was randomly disintegrating, as though consumed by flame.

The many layers on this canvas required scraping and sanding, and so, the material is gallery-wrapped on a smooth birch ply panel using neutralPH PVA adhesive which itself is mounted to heavy duty stretchers.

Add an American Frame Company Natural Maple Canvas Float Frame. Or hang the work without a frame; the edges are painted. Please add 5—7 days to normal delivery schedule to allow for framing, if chosen.