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Apophenia:
An Uncanny Presence.
2022-

Whilst exploring painted spaces via my Personal Topographies series I was constantly aware that the next development in this painted process would be the introduction of abstract presences. Although I have been using the word presence to denote the manifestations in my work, I am now wondering if it is perhaps the best word to use. If the presence in question is always, pseudo human should I be considering the idea of anthropomorphism instead? Or perhaps in more global terms pareidolia? Or more properly apophenia?

Of Deceptive Singularity.

9/8/2026

'Of Deceptive Singularity', Oil on canvas, 27.5 x 20.5 inches (70 x 52cms)

Deceptive: tending or designed to make you believe something that is not true. Misleading, false, dishonest or tricky.
Singularity: uniqueness, individuality, or a distinct personal trait that sets one apart from everyone else. Uniqueness, distinctiveness, individualism, and particularity.

Of Deceptive Singularity suggests something apparently singular that may be less certain than it first appears. What seems to cohere might equally be the consequence of looking for coherence where none necessarily exists. Its apparent unity remains persuasive, but not entirely trustworthy.

'Of Specious Identity.'

8/19/2026

'Of Specious Identity.' Oil on canvas, 37 x 27.5 inches (94 x 70 cms).

Specious: something that seems good, true, or correct on the surface, but is actually false, fake, or wrong. Fallacious, misleading, deceptive, spurious or plausible.
Identity: the unique mix of traits, beliefs, values, and memories that make you a separate person. Individuality, personality, character or selfhood.

What appears to possess a particular identity may be no more than an arrangement that momentarily assumes one. The possibility of recognition is present, but never quite confirmed, leaving the distinction between what is perceived and what is projected deliberately unresolved.

Of Apparent Esotericism.

7/31/2026

Of Apparent Esotericism. Oil on plywood panel. 7 x 5 inches (178 x 122 mms).

Apparent: Something that is clear and open to your eyes or mind. Clear to see, obvious, evident or seeming.
Esotericism: Requires specific instruction, study, or formal initiation to fully grasp, rather than being openly obvious. Hidden, inner, or specialized knowledge.

The title remains deliberately unresolved. It offers the possibility of something esoteric while simultaneously qualifying that possibility. What appears to possess a hidden significance may be no more than a configuration upon which significance has been projected. Equally, the absence of an evident meaning does not necessarily confirm its absence. I prefer to leave the question suspended, allowing the work to exist somewhere between revelation and invention, recognition and projection, the perceived presence of meaning and the possibility that there is none.

Of Juxtaposed Union.

7/14/2026

Of Juxtaposed Union, oil on canvas, 35 x 30 inches (89 x 76 cm).

Juxtaposed: placing or displaying two or more things side by side—or in close proximity, specifically to highlight their differences, compare them, or create a surprising, contrasting effect. Compared, contrasted, set against.
Union: an act or instance of uniting or joining two or more things into one. Unification, merger, combination, fusion, amalgamation, joining.

The paintings of the Apophenia Series are unresolved propositions. They resist resolution, not through obscurity, but through deliberate indeterminacy. Rather than presenting conclusions, they invite the observer to examine the processes through which meaning is constructed. The works ask not simply what is seen, but how seeing becomes understanding. In doing so, they encourage the observer to question the assumptions, associations, and patterns through which they perceive the world.

Of Essential Enigmatics.

6/10/2026

Of Essencial Enigmatics. Oil on plywood panel. 7 x 5 inches (178 x 122 mms).

Essential: Referring to the fundamental properties or qualities of a thing without which it would cease to exist or lose its defining character. The term evokes notions of essence, core, soul, spirit, ethos, and intrinsic nature.

Enigmatics: Pertaining to that which is mysterious, elusive, or resistant to straightforward understanding. The term suggests qualities of mystery, puzzle, riddle, conundrum, and paradox, inviting interpretation while withholding definitive resolution.

The Apophenia Series has generated an expanding vocabulary of abstract motifs that I continue to draw upon throughout the development of these works. As the series has evolved, these recurring formal elements have assumed an increasingly prominent role within its visual language, encouraging a more focused examination of their compositional potential. Recent works have therefore concentrated on investigating the placement, interaction, and spatial relationships of these motifs within individual paintings, exploring how variations in their arrangement can shape visual coherence, tension, and meaning.

Of Misbegotten Lineage.

6/6/2026

Of Misbegotten Lineage. Oil on canvas, 36 x 30 inches ( 91.5 x 76 cm).

Misbegotten denotes something poorly conceived, inadequately planned, or improperly brought into being; it may also imply illegitimacy, folly, or conceptual failure.

Lineage refers to direct descent from a common ancestor and encompasses notions of ancestry, bloodline, pedigree, and inheritance.

Painting operates within such genealogies. Methods, strategies, and visual languages are not fixed but evolve over time, carrying traces of their antecedents while generating new possibilities. Individual paintings likewise possess their own developmental trajectories. Some emerge quickly, while others remain unresolved for years. Several works in this body of practice were begun more than four years ago and have only recently been revisited, revised, and advanced toward completion, if completion can be said to exist at all. Rather than fixed endpoints, paintings may be understood as provisional states within an ongoing process of becoming.

Of Turbulent Individuality.

5/15/2026

Of Turbulent Individuality. Oil on canvas. 40 x 30 inches (102 x 76 cms).

Turbulent: characterized by conflict, disorder, or unstability. Agitation, disorder, or tumult.

Individuality: characteristics, qualities, and traits that distinguish one person or thing from all others. Uniqueness, distinctiveness, originality or idiosyncrasy.

It has been quite some time since I last posted a new painting on my blog. Of Turbulent Individuality has remained intermittently on the easel for an extended period, though it now appears to have reached its resolution. I knew for some time that the work was nearing completion; it required only a few final brushstrokes, yet those strokes demanded the utmost care and precision in their execution.

Of Knowledgeless Formation.

4/3/2026

Of Knowledgeless Formation. Oil on canvas. 40 x 30 inches (102 x 76 cms).

Knowledgless: devoid of knowledge, ignorant, or lacking understanding. Uniformed, unknowing, uneducated or clueless.

Formation: the act of creating, developing, or arranging something. Structuture, arrangemeny, creation, or configuration.

The titling of this piece marks what I anticipate to be the culmination of one of my final revisions, at least for the present. While there remain a small number of other paintings under consideration for further reworking, my current focus is directed toward the development of several new works.

Of Feign Demeanor.

3/26/2026

Of Feign Demeanor. Oil on canvas. 40 x 30 inches (102 x 76 cms).

Feign: to pretend, simulate, or give a false appearance of a feeling, state, or emotion. Pretend, simulate, fake, sham, or dissemble.

Demenor: the outward behavior, manner or bearing which reflects character or feelings. Bearing, deportment, manner, mien, compprtment or air.

The recurring formal elements within these works have assumed increasing significance within the evolving visual language of the series, prompting a more deliberate and systematic consideration of their compositional function. This painting represents the first large-scale work to be realised with a sustained focus on exploring the range of possibilities inherent in the placement and spatial relationships of these formal “motifs” within a single composition.

Of Interior Diversity.

3/19/2026

Of Interior Diversity. Oil on plywood panel. 7 x 5 inches (178 x 122 mms).

Interior: Situation within or inside, relating to the inside. Inside, Inner, Depths, Recesses, Nucleus, Core.
Diversity:The quality or condition of having or being coposed of differing elements. Different, Disparate, Divergent, and Various.

'The Apophenia Series' has provided an expanding repertoire of abstract motifs that I regularly incorporate into these works. Over time, these recurring formal elements have become increasingly significant within the visual language of the series, prompting a more deliberate consideration of how they function compositionally. In particular, I have recently begun to explore a variety of possibilities regarding the placement and spatial relationships of these formal “motifs” within individual compositions...