Why I Paint Abstract: A Deep Dive

I remember sitting at the Tate, in the Rothko room.

I had never seen a Rothko in person before — though I had already created a piece inspired by him.

But this — this was different.

For all the criticism and debate around Rothko, it wasn’t until I sat in front of one that I understood what he was doing.

The emotion was undeniable.

Color doesn’t just decorate — it affects you.

It pulls at something beyond words.

That rich red — I’ll never forget it.

That moment led me down a path of exploring color theory, abstract expressionism, and what emotions I could make myself — and others — feel through color alone.

I’ve come to believe that abstract art is both the easiest to attempt — and the hardest to master.

My most recent collection embraces the freedom of abstraction but is grounded by the rigid rules of classical composition.

It’s an attempt to challenge the viewer — and maybe myself.

But more likely, it’s a deeper search: for meaning, for legacy, for contribution.

Our lives contract and expand, improve and decline — swinging from elation to devastation, sometimes all in the time it takes to change the channel.

I paint to capture that feeling — that cycle.

Not in pictures of things, but in what color, texture, and form can make you feel before you even realize it.