ARTIST STATEMENT

 Light. For me, it is always about the light. Whether I am painting a portrait, a plein air scene or still life, I must always be able to start with strong natural light.  When I first see things, either in real life or through my camera lens, the contrast of light and dark is what, for me brings interest and awe to an object or being.  I then seek out the colors and values that seem to evolve and come to me as I journey through a painting.

 Emotion. Using the light, I strive to evoke emotion. I prepare a colored under painting to all of my canvases, in hopes that it will add congruency to the composition as well as a mood that reflects where I am when I am creating. Often for a series, I will continue that vein and under-paint all of my pieces in the one same color. For edgy hot pieces I might use cadmium red medium, for subdued gentle pieces, I might use lavender or magenta.

Pleasure. I create art first for my own pleasure. I have always required the solitude and deep concentration that creating art affords me. I crave the contiguous problem solving and deep focus essential to making an otherwise basic object or face come to life. When I get to the place where the painting “lives”, I too am renewed, stimulated and completely fulfilled. My hope is that when one views my artwork they too will experience the light, feel that emotion and above all, take pleasure in it’s significance.