My work is inspired by the wildlife and
landscapes I encounter while traveling. The most
compelling images find me in the most unexpected
ways, and I count on chance encounters and
emotional connections - the way we find the
loves in our lives - to provide the subject
matter for my work. My paintings include images
from several trips: Italy, where I was
captivated by the trees. And Yellowstone and
the Grand Tetons where I encountered buffaloes
and ravens - motifs that continue in my most
recent paintings. Now, I’ve just completed a
trip hiking Arches National Park in Southern
Utah. Ideas are brewing. The images I produce
from these trips are unplanned. They are a
response to my emotional experience rather than
faithfully documenting a location. The energy of
these places, of these encounters, and the soul
searching that ensues, is what I aim to share.
A theme found in most of my work is the search
for balance between our inner and outer world.
In the outer world we see realism – recognizable
objects and beings. The inner world is emotive,
abstract, and mysterious. The animals in my
paintings, raven in particular, serve as guides
from the outer world to the inner world.
Tempting, encouraging and instigating an
exploration into places we have hidden, even
from ourselves. These paintings explore that
place, shining light into the darkness and
finding beauty there. Objects from the outer
world appear in the inner world, as they do in
dreams, symbolically connecting both worlds. As
I’ve done this work I’ve found a new balance and
wholeness in my life. That energy goes into
these paintings. Ultimately, my work is about
personal growth, compassion, acceptance, and the
joy that comes from sharing our true selves with
the world.
Though most of my inspiration is internal and
experiential, other influences are inevitable.
Stylistically, my work is grounded in realism,
inspired by the graphic and iconic images of
painters such as N.C. Wyeth and the landscapes
and cloudscapes of Maxfield Parrish. The
atmospheric aesthetic of Russell Chatham and the
Hudson River painters often finds its way in to
my work. But my desire to express emotion and
to explore our unseen inner world calls me to
integrate the bold expressive colors, shapes and
mark-making found in contemporary abstraction.
Edge ribbons serve compositional and emotive
functions as well as providing archeological
insight into the color history of the painting.
Fusing these elements in a way that conveys the
emotion found in both our outer and inner worlds
is the driving force behind each of my
paintings.
