The idea behind my current work is for the creative process to mirror the cycles of nature.  So, if nature begins with a period of growth in Spring and Summer, its' counterpoint is a period of decay in Autumn and Winter.  To imitate that progression, I begin with an additive process by making an original painting.  Then I follow with a subtractive process by cutting apart the original design.  I don't actually cut apart the original, though ... I make color reproductions in various shades and cut them apart.  I cut them into thin strips or small squares or even tiny circles that resemble pixels.  

The next step is a sort of mixed media technique where I combine the pieces from the original design with other materials such as paint, colored papers, and even unconventional things like glitter, mylar, and recycled elements.  I put the painting back together in a grid-like pattern or by piecing together thin strips.  Sometimes I weave the strips back together.

In nature, the cycle moves from growth and decay to a period of renewed growth.  But this isn't a random growth of completely new things.  The new growth is based on what had been there before:  things that were incubating in Winter have a new life as a variation of the old life.

That's how I like to view my art process:  the new compositions are direct variations of the original painting.  In a way, they are like prints because I make multiples of each original and I number them the way a print maker would number a series.  But, on the other hand, they are different from traditional prints because each one is done in a different way and has a completely different appearance.  In that way, I feel the variations could be considered originals in their own right.