When I began painting in 1997, this new adventure was exhilarating, but highly chaotic and decidedly accidental. Strongly influenced by the works of many mid-Twentieth Century artists, particularly the Abstract Expressionists, my initial creative efforts were both consciously and subconsciously derivative. As I experimented, a style of my own eventually began to emerge. Most prevalent in my work is a bold use of color. Also, I've found that aggressive texturing enables me to create a greater depth of emotional and personal commitment to the canvas. Many of my paintings derive structure and order through linear references, yet the energetic application of solid and liquid colors over textured surfaces gives the canvases a sense of tension and random movement.

I paint with acrylics on canvas, layering and texturing with diluted washes and additional pieces of raw canvas, gauze, cheesecloth, pumice, paper, linerboard, balsa wood etc. I am particularly enamored of colored gesso because of its flat finish and interesting color bleeding and mixing properties. Paints are applied by brush, sponge, knife, hands, and aerosol spray.

The extreme evolution, which marked my first years of painting, has slowed. Accordingly, I have more control of the creative process, and am pursuing themes and creating series of paintings. At the time of my 2002 “Embracing the Accidental” show, I felt my work was approaching a state of some equilibrium between control and the accidental. I now believe a new dynamic is in place.

The creative process I originally described as “accidental” has, in fact, become quite deliberate. But, what marks it as unusual and continues to mystify me is my role in the process. Once the creative process begins, I almost feel as if I'm acting merely as an execution vehicle for channeled ideas and energy coming from places unknown. Genetic gifts, inspiration from masters like Diebenkorn, the Hand of God, The Collective Unconscious, madness? I'm unable to identify the sources, but I clearly understand that when the creative process begins, I'm acting almost as if in a dream state. I may approach the canvas with my own game plan, but quickly find that intended brush strokes become knife applications, reds become blacks, hard lines turn curvilinear, and so on. The end result is a deliberate conceptualization, processing and execution of ideas. It's very exciting and nurturing for me, but I sometimes wonder who is in charge of changing channels.

Peter K Brooks