Paintings

	Cellular Landscapes
	Miniatures

These paintings are made in the style
and with the technique of traditional
Indian Miniature Painting. I am drawn
to this tradition because of its use of
intense, saturated pigment, symbols
that portray the landscape of the mind,
and a peculiar sense of space in which
figures hover between the volumetric
and flat. This visual and conceptual
"in-betweeness" as well the acute
attention to detail suits my subject
matter and artistic temperament. The
miniatures are made on handmade
Wasli paper: layers of cotton rag paper
bound together by flour and water,
stretched on a board and then
burnished to a smooth, firm surface.
("Wasli" is the Persian word for
lovers.) I use my finger as the palette
for the watercolor pigment; my skin
absorbs the excess water when I lift
paint with an extremely fine-haired
brush. The semi-dry colors are laid
down in single, very small strokes
that blend optically. Gold leaf is added
at the end or during the process.