My work is representational and nature-based. Nature is my starting point, in both theme and color. Inspiration comes from the push of the land, the sweep of the field or water, the angles of the tree line. Motivation comes from local color with the light playing against it. Moving from a mode of realism towards abstraction helps to give my colors more expressive power. Some of the influences on my art have been the romanticism of Turner, the intense emotion of Van Gogh, the basic simplicity of Milton Avery, the intimacy and refinement of Georgia O’Keefe, the mystery and originality of Susan Rothenberg, and the startling effects of the luscious color combinations of Wolf Kahn.
Oils are my preferred medium, but I often paint en plein air with soft pastels - their portability makes for easier access to vistas. Often my landscapes are from peripheral glimpses that shimmer and grab my attention, and demand to be recorded. I work from a six color primary palette. I usually have a number of works in progress at any time; really, I spend more time interacting with the canvas, almost meditating with it, than I do actively painting on it; then the paint is applied loosely with brushes and high energy. I use a variety of brushstrokes and load the surface with several layers of colors which blend into wide, soothing color fields which are often punctuated with a bold area of accent. I think a work is finished when it can stand on its own and can impart a sense of intent and celebration when experienced by the viewer. My paintings capture the different times of the day, the changes of the season, some say “the soul of the moment”; they bring a quiet joy and a sense of retreat to those who own them; they are the way that I can share with others that portion of my life which I consider necessary and spiritual.

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