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.
Land and seascapes often suggest human bodyscapes. Mountain ranges and valleys mimic a woman's torso or a man's profile; a river's watershed suggests our circulatory system, skeletons have an affinity with tree branches. Our bodies describe and are extensions of the world we occupy. My aim is to celebrate these connections.
Some recent work has been portraits. They describe a different terrain: cheekbones and brows, sunlight on hair, smiles or introspection. A human face is the map of a life and our way of understanding another person. We see joy or endurance or intelligence in the eyes or the tilt of a head. Working on portraits has been a delight, starting with the willingness of the subjects.
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.