Abstract:
This thesis describes how I came to create the body of work for Claritas: An MFA Thesis
Exhibition, the culmination of my thesis project at George Mason University. I reflect on
the journey that brought me to painting; my painting process; as well as the
philosophical, spiritual, and aesthetic influences that led me to create the paintings in my
exhibition. In the studio, I struggled to find light in my paintings, which mirrored my
own inner process of stripping away the dark veil of ego to reveal the claritas, or the
radiant brightness of light, that I discovered within myself. As I was working in the
studio, I was only dimly aware of my unconscious motivations to paint. Through my
overt exploration of the perceptual issues of color, light and form, I expressed my
personal process of individuation. I propose that my paintings are metonyms of this inner
experience, as evidenced by the formal qualities and documented responses to my work.
