Musical compositions are everywhere in nature. Most of my inspiration for the artwork colors and compositions are derived from landscapes, their light, color and moodiness. The sounds, the colors, and the the quiet spaces, touch me and stir the energies of my soul. I connect to the spirit that lightens our hearts and feeds the soul.
My work is upbeat and joyful. The colors are bright and can be very playful. The art takes on a life of its own and becomes one with the surroundings. Nature has many colors, sounds, rhythms and moods. All of them are inspiring are inspiring to me. The painting is borne from within and finds its life in visual art.
I begin with small colorful sketches using pastels, guache, oil pastels, etc. The colors and shapes are pushed around on art paper until they begin feel right. Little by little the colors and shapes are worked and re-worked, pushed and pulled. Once I am satisfied that the identity of the sketch is clear, I translate onto canvas with oil paints. The oil paint medium when applied to the canvas creates additional changes. The oils are worked very thin in layers. As the layers build, I use thicker paint in areas for accents.
I lay the stretched canvas on two horses and I work flat. The Abstract Expressionist painters also worked flat. It allow the artist the ability to process color, form, size and spatial relationships quickly. By keeping the painting flat and working from the top, I have an overall perspective. In other words the work can be seen in its entirety all at once.
My training and studies were influenced by Abstract Expressionistic painters like Franz Kline, De Kooning, Mark Rothko and others. I was also drawn to Impressionists like Monet because of his use of natural light, Matisse for color and form and to Kandinsky for his rhythms and musicality.