While my primary concept for Highways and Byways was to leave all man-made structures unpainted, I found that as I created larger works, too much paper was left untouched. I could have applied a light wash, but instead I began wondering if I could somehow capture the inner dialogue that happens during a focused, repetitive task like driving.
The Stream of Consciousness paintings grew from this idea. Each piece begins with an unedited script of whatever is on my mind. The writing becomes a sort of pre-wash for the watercolor and, when paired with the open roads of the series, creates a foundation for the areas left unpainted and therefore intentional.
After the writing is complete, I begin with the first washes, which naturally soften and dull the already-pale ink beneath. This process reinforces the fragmented nature of thought—the way ideas, memories, and impressions remain visible even as they are layered over and partially obscured.
I noticed, too, that I would often repeat phrases in the way I might ruminate. Even when the phrases themselves did not repeat, my vocabulary often did, echoing the patterns of thought that happen quietly in the background of our minds. This structure shapes the work the same way our thoughts inform our perspective.
