Artist Statement

My favorite time of day is late evening, just before sunset. The light is long and low, orange and red. It is warm, no matter the air temperature. Shadows and light interplay in amazing ways in the gloaming. I find it a time of magic and emotion.

Like the sun, I enjoy bright and bold colors of paint or the sharp contrasts of black and white found in charcoal. I have to admit, though, that I love to try all types of media. If I can work quickly and easily without too much fuss, I am happy. I work primarily from photos I have taken. I am so thankful for my IPhone these recent years! There is no need to haul around a camera hoping to capture just the right scene. Plein air is a new adventure I am currently pursuing. I can’t wait to see what evolves from that.

Why do I make art? I make art because I derive deep satisfaction from the process of seeing something that emotionally moved me and capturing its likeness on paper. The process of slowing down and being totally immersed in creating is my meditation. I leave the painting or drawing feeling satisfied with what is and anticipating what else I can do with what I learned in the process. Every single work of art builds upon the ones previously created. Techniques used, colors mixed, mistakes made – they all contribute to the next piece that I do. It is fascinating!

I have made it my goal to share my work with others. Over the years, I have learned that every person has their own taste in art. What is beautiful to one person, can be a total mess to another. That does not matter. What does matter is putting art out to the world in the hopes that some piece I have done will make another person say, “Oh, yes. I love that!” and take it home. That makes me happy.

I hope you enjoy my work.