- How did the accident affect my work ? Well; Profoundly!

Whereas I had previously been a fairly competent , accomplished and somewhat well- recognized; Realist Painter. ...Now , post- accident, I am a different person/Artist/painter.

- Let's talk Still-Life, for a moment ... Pre accident P. III would go to the supermarket , out to the garden , or even up into the woods. He would select 1 or 2 organic - items ( like : vegetables fruit , flowers, fish . or pretty much anything "Organic" which caught his eye ). He would then, bring those : organic-elements " back to the studio. Then he'd spend several hours (sometimes; days) arranging these "organic-objects", along with various man-made objects (ie.: silverware, napkins, ceramics, glass, etc.) , in natural Northern light, upon a table ... Until; an acceptable Composition was achieved, Once this composition was achieved , he would begin the process of: assiduously describing every facet of every square millimeter of that which now lay before him, in: paint!... Hoping to leave the viewer in awe of his ability to: perceive and then "translate" into paint, every subtle Shift of color , light , value, texture, shape and space " ...all contained within the composition, which he'd so laboriously created, at the outset! And, often-enough; he would end up with a pretty good-painting !

- Now; Post - Accident P. III ; "unattached" and "forcefully Enlightened", returned to the studio, eventually, and asked: Why? ...Why "pluck" items from: Mother Nature, and take them back to the studio to "investigate" them there? Mother Nature is Perfect, just as she is! Is it not my job to: get myself out-there, into: Nature Herself, find something-interesting...(Mother Nature provides us with an abundance of fascinating - scenes, If we can just: Stop, calm our restless-minds, & really: SEE...Look into her, and truly appreciate her: Unparalleled-Beauty & Abundant-Majesty!)... Then, having identified that one point of interest, work with the sensational light which she provides and find the ideal perspective, from which to describe her Wonder to the best of my ability? Also ; what's up with this urgent need to describe every square millimeter within a painting? Can we not trust the viewer to interpret that which is left unsaid ?... That which is implied ?... Yes, we can ...and we SHOULD trust the viewer! In fact, I should invite the viewer into The Creative Process !... How can I do that? ... By: leaving certain things - Unsaid, by implying certain aspects of the "environs" via; color, temperature, brushwork, opacity and transparency!...Hell, let's allow paint to be paint, in certain places...thereby encouraging the viewer to see/understand the nature of the materials with which were working !
- In the first painting which I attempted, post-accident, post- FMRI- Guided -TMS. ...I, P. III allowed a "drip" to be a Drip, within my description of the environs, surrounding my beautifully posed, yet entirely unscripted, bovine subject matter. ...Pre-accident P. iII would never have allowed that Drip to stand ! Post-accident PIII thinks the world of that Drip! I see it as an essential aspect of that painting and a Way to acknowledge, to the viewer, and to myself that : Paint can be/is : just Paint!

Ultimately I guess it comes down to this : The Accident has changed Who I am. That change affects how I paint! I can't access Pre Accident P. III anymore; That's terrifying but it's also liberating! I'm coming at everything : Anew, with a new sensibility, with fresh unencumbered eyes , with new / different priorities . not least of which is to engage the viewer in the creative act. I've always loved "studies" and "unfinished-works" by other Painters, from : William Merritt Chase to Antonio Lopez Garcia - from Diarmuid Kelley to Sigal Tsbari - from: Mariano Fortuny to Alex Kanevsky ... there's something about a study /unfinished piece which rolls back the curtain a bit and invites the viewer to participate, like: he/she Would have done this next, or. I would've gone down this road further, if it were my piece ... Additionally I'm now fascinated by : what's left unsaid ! Just how much can be left entirely unsaid? Which then leads to the concept of: negative-Space! Negative-Space can be a very positive thing!

That said it is a force, ...a force of Nature ? Can it be controlled? More importantly , should it be controlled ? Can one truly let go enough to the point where a part of the creative act is engaging with negative-space, on its terms? Improvising, as it were, with negative-space . a couple of marks set the melody , Then one has to allow /enable the dance to happen ... What can he left unsaid? How can we encourage the viewer to Participate in the Creative Act ?!