My work has always been driven by a love for the natural world, its forms, colors and light. It is representational yet addresses the moods and rhythms of nature: the depth of a pond, the energy of a wave or river, the vitality in a tree or human limb.
There are many ways of looking at nature and often I am seduced by patterns: waves receding to the horizon, scales on a fish, the grains in wood. Repetitive lines and forms are beautiful and oddly reassuring. The hills of California and the seacoast of Maine are inspirations. I have sketched and painted them for years and when working on a painting their smells and sounds are part of the memory bank informing my work.
I start with a pencil, charcoal or watercolor sketch, supplemented sometimes by photographs, but visual and emotional memories are the most important tools. I paint primarily in oil, loving its tactile and slow-drying qualities, but also use acrylic, pastel, charcoal and watercolor for finished work, sometimes using my fingers as well as brushes.
