Artist Statement

Landscape
The hazy blue peak of the butte jutting through a stand of dark pines. Deciduous trees changing color through the seasons, their branches merging and mixing with evergreens, bright blue sky glimpsed through the tangled limbs. Bare purple-brown branches silhouetted against a cloudy sky, with a scattering of red-leaf maple leaves holding on tight. White-pink opulence of cherry blossoms, deep hues of crocuses and daffodils, and golden forsythia emerging in early spring against winter’s neutral palette. Rainbows arching, flashing and dissolving, a living prism in the sky. These elements of the Pacific Northwest landscape, and many more, live deep in my soul and speak to me like verses in a poem.

I paint from the landscape in several ways. There is the energizing vigor of painting outdoors where the light and weather are constantly changing. The challenge and discovery of constructing a painting in the studio from sketches and studies in the field. The pure joy of painting a bouquet of fresh flowers "alla prima". The serenity and stillness of painting the landscape viewed through a window, or a car windshield. And the newest method that is still emerging for me – painting the landscape from memory and internal imagery. This last method feels both new and old, connecting me back to the artist I was as a child. Painting is a privilege and a gift, one that I receive with the deepest thanks, and one that I am honored to share with you.


Still Life
Using subjects such as flowers, lace, paper, wood, books, and windows, I weave perception and invention together to create images that feel both keenly observed and intentionally constructed. A search for beauty, order, and balance is ever present in the way I encounter life, intuitively guiding my selection of objects and color combinations. Inspiration comes from art history, geometry, literature, memory, nature, and found objects, resulting in a mixture of contemporary and classical motifs. Recurring elements include circles, piles, and boxes, with an inclination towards symmetry in the overall design. Beginning with red, blue, yellow, and white, I mix my palette paying close attention to how specific color combinations effect mood, space, and light. The resulting paintings are often described as contemplative visual spaces where the commonplace is imbued with hints of metaphor and mysticism.
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