Artist Statement

  In my work it is necessary for me to visualize the world in my own way. At the beginning of this process, I have an idea about how I want to compose the foreground and background, the light and shadow and the different color harmonies. Once these are down on paper in a 3-value sketch I can see whether my idea has merit or not. Maybe the elements add up to something interesting or maybe they show old motifs in a new light or maybe they introduce a certain aesthetic quality. Then, I use the craft of painting to execute the idea.

It doesn’t happen overnight, but slowly, over time, especially of late while working on my latest series of landscapes. There are many nuances that I want to explore; the process is like a free association of ideas. You never know what combination will make something new to see, place it in a new light. Then to paint it, that’s the challenge. It’s great fun. I see my work as a hybrid, a process of combining different Ideas about painting to create a new view of things. 

When people see my work, I'd like for them to smile, then stop to contemplate for a bit. I’d like for them to impose their own ideas on to the painting and appreciate the beauty of the piece.

Because I teach the craft of oil painting to many students - all at different levels in their own development - it forces me to continually evaluate and articulate the process. And I have found that my teaching pushes my own work forward, making it more mature.