My HOPE paintings really should be seen in person. Experienced. In a reproduction, the depth, scale, texture, material, and process are all absent. (Are you familiar with Magritte’s painting “This is Not a Pipe”?) Ergo, come to my studio. Can’t make it? Below are some video pan and zoom observations. In transforming the physical paintings into these digital cousins, I have added an audio track to their DNA.
Note: Best viewed on a computer.
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INSIGHT 5 is a multipart exploration that developed in stages. Like my four earlier INSIGHT series, it began in the studio with a series of paintings—works to be framed and hung, then scanned and reproduced in a large-format tabloid.
In the book, I explain how the title came to be, then delve into the theme of HOPE—how it sustains us, and how it can sometimes delude us. Opposite each image, I’ve placed quotes from a variety of historical sources, reflecting on this universal desire. On this page,, those quotes are also revealed with their companion painting.
As the paintings evolved, so did the project’s scope.
During the months I spent painting, I kept a running series of notes—reflections on ideas and subjects that caught my attention during the creative process. These ideas, along with drawings made on my iPad, are gathered in an ADDENDUM, which serves as a unique epilogue. Together, they offer a candid glimpse into the texture of that period: what I was reading, seeing, and feeling.
As this project neared completion, I began to consider how best to exhibit the series beyond the book. I experimented with Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook—but grew skeptical of those formats, finding them too fleeting, too flippant. In the end, I have chosen to present HOPE on my website, where it could be encountered without distraction or distortion. If viewers find it, so be it.
LEFT: 12 of the 20 paintings. RIGHT: a thumb-through of the tabloid
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