Artist Statement

What does the word “freedom” mean to you? To me picking up a paintbrush and considering the possibilities is freedom. I have spent much of my life in a world of group dynamics and decisions by committee where there are few opportunities for individual creativity. The only time I feel totally free to express myself is when I am painting. Painting is as important to me as breathing.

Acrylic paints are my chosen medium. The medium is a product of the twentieth century that combines many of the capabilities of both oil and water colors. You can paint opaquely as with oils or you can apply your paints in washes as with water colors, so they offer limitless options. Although the medium has not been around long enough to have proven its true longevity, testing suggests that paintings rendered in acrylics can last for centuries when applied properly on stable supporting surfaces. Although I have experimented with many different types of painting supports, I have come to prefer wooden (usually birch) panels and linen for my painting supports because I like they way they perform and because of their potential longevity.

I paint in a representational style, meaning that I attempt to create a recognizable illusion of reality in my paintings. My goal as an artist is to present the viewer of my art something he or she may have seen before, but never noticed. My favorite literary quote is taken from the English translation of Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak, “Only the commonplace transformed by genius is truly great.” I don’t pretend to possess artistic genius, but I do hope that if I put enough miles on my paintbrush, I might someday be fortunate enough to show you something new in something you thought you already knew.

I hope you enjoy what you see on my website. Please come back often!