Shimmers of gold move through paintings where contemporary polymer paint and synthetic paper meet traditional composition metal leaf. Fragments of color, gesture and organic forms animate works ranging from openness to abundance.

At one end, a limited palette of paint is allowed to pool, stain and marble across non-absorbent synthetic paper. The painted paper is cut into fragments, then recomposed so layers of shape, line and interval interact with luminous gold. Open space becomes an active part of these compositions.

At the other end, color, collaged fragments, bloom-like clusters and passages of gold intermingle, making you question where one ends and another begins. I chose copper-zinc composition leaf for its resilience under manipulation; paint, paper and gold are layered, scraped, sanded and tended until energy swirls into lavish abundance.

Across both, beauty is found in relationship—each part distinct yet contributing to the fullness of the whole.

During my process, I came across the Greek term poikilia, meaning “fascinating variety.” In The Republic, Plato warned against its sensuous pleasures; centuries later, that sensory power was embraced in Byzantine art and sacred expression. I looked at works infused with light and life, holding disparate parts together, and knew in poikilia I’d found a name for what I was discovering.