Artist Statement
The utter capriciousness of the creative process is one I welcome and embrace. There is something about letting go, and allowing a painting to develop from an intuitive evolution. Without question, the physical act of painting is important to the finished painting itself. I paint standing, and I move around the canvas, trying to maintain that ideal balance between creative abandon and physical control. For me, it takes these actions to make a beautiful finished painting that remains somewhat organic and unrefined. My paintings are landscapes that have been "found" not "built".
I hope to suggest a particular environment without getting too lost in the details. I'd like the viewer to bring his or her own impressions or reflections to the painting without being taken there directly by me. Communicating the essence of a landscape is my goal. Leaving some of the imagination to the viewer is key to that I think.
I'm inspired by the emotional reactions we have to our natural world. The movement of the sky, the reaction of the earth underneath, and the deep-toned colors, combine to make a landscape that I never tire of. Using large brushes, palette knives, and sometimes my fingers, I am a direct application painter. I mix the oil paints directly on the canvas or paper with putty knives, some as large as twelve inches. I have only a few brushes and I use them sparingly.
Striving for work that is emotive, visceral and expressive, my interpretations of our natural surroundings is more of a feeling than a strict observation.
Artist Background
Broward College
Associate of Arts, 1988