ARTIST STATEMENT

I paint what moves me. I endeavor to express the essence of the subject as I perceive it.

I began painting landscapes en plein air when I moved to a remote part of Sonoma County. My lifestlye was closely connected to the land and I was surrounded by incredible wild beauty. Previously people had been the subject of my paintings but here I felt compelled to paint the landscape. Initially I worked in watercolor doing small works and later I transitioned to oil as I it gave me different possibilities for expression.

I am drawn to paint late in the day when there is a heightened quality to all aspects of the landscape. The shadows are long and the forms sculptural. In this threshold time the light is fading fast. If necessary I will return to this location at the same time of day until I complete my painting. Sometimes I do finish work in my studio but my heart is in painting out of doors.

When I draw and paint people I am interested in portraying that person with all their idiosyncrasies. I hope to capture their mood, their character and the beauty of their form just as I do in landscape painting.

I feel a deep connection with the subjects I paint. It is most satisfying when this connection allows my painting to manifest, what I sense is soulful and profound in both the landscapes and the people I portray.