I approach painting from an explorer's point of view.  Initially a few colors may be chosen as a starting point to investigate the tension and vibrancy between these colors. However, as a painting develops, it slowly reveals my inner world and emotional state in dealing with my son’s autism. That ultimately guides the work. 

I began painting in an abstract expressionist style after many years of representational work in order to connect with and express my experience fathering an autistic child. The day to day stresses and struggles to be a good father for my son have at times been overwhelming. Love, anger, humor, sadness, and loss become an explosive convergence of vivid color and expressive brush stroke.  A subconscious level of interaction with my emotions and my spiritual energy informs me as I connect with my inner world and visualize what's happening on the canvas. I maintain this conversation from within and without throughout the painting process.

The entire body of work approximates a place that I inhabit physically and psychologically. My goal in painting is to recreate on canvas what I am experiencing inside, from high states of agitation and angst to feelings of calm. Incorporating vibrant colors and layering textures on the canvas, I strive to reconstruct a path through my emotional world that produces areas of high kinetic energy and serenity on the canvas. 

Contact Jay if you have any questions
or are interested in purchasing a painting.
email: jay.petrow@gmail.com