Each canvas is gallery wrapped, 36 x 36”, acrylic paint and graphite. Click image to enlarge.

What started out as an exercise in color, form, and size (and a desire to have original art hanging above my couch) has mutated into a series exploring the metaphor of a nucleus.

Since I started doing my pre-reqs for med school, way back in 2005, I’ve ruminated on how art and science would collide on paper or canvas one day.

As I’ve said before, that one day is now.

The circles of the first three paintings reminded me of a generic cell shape and nucleus popped into my consciousness.

I opened my physiology textbook to remind myself of cellular biology basics. During school, I loved drawing to help learn the overwhelming amount of information coming at me.

Initially when thinking of the nucleus, my mind went to DNA and orchestrating cellular functions.

The nucleus is surrounded by a double membrane that regulates what comes in and goes out.

This lead to ideas about boundaries, protection, information, transmission, expression, stories.

DNA tells a story, the story of life.

Right now, boundaries and stories consume my thoughts.

Visually, the boundaries of one color intersecting with another to create something new.

The illusion of seeing something that looks simple on the surface, because there is so much we cannot see below except little edges that burst forth.

Nucleus no. 6 and beyond are more explicitly exploring the ideas of boundaries and the movement of information.

The boundaries of what we can see, hear, do have become far reaching — almost limitless — with technology.

But, at the moment, we are unable to safely be around others as we would like.

The volume and flow of information has increased astronomically.

How do you regulate what comes in? What goes out?

What is in your metaphorical DNA?

Obviously, art is in mine.

All paintings are available. Nucleus no. 2 is at The Local.

Use “Contact” at top right of page for details to purchase.

View more work at Artwork Archive.