I am a Photographer and a Painter. Drawing upon places I have traveled to and my inner journeys, my paintings reflect the beauty, harmony and mystery found in nature. Like the expressionist painters, my paintings are meant to provoke a feeling or sense of place, rather than the actual scene. I use simple shapes and bright color to convey the emotion to the viewer. The process of painting itself – the physical aspect of applying the paint, the movement of the brush across the canvas, the use of large bold brushstrokes, the layering of the paint on the surface – is the creative process. I quickly paint the entire painting with one large brush, then begin to layer color upon color, to “push and pull” the surface, allowing the painting to evolve, taking on a life and language all of its own. The painting, like the places I have traveled to, becomes an adventure, never knowing where I might end up.
In exploring the process of abstraction, my paintings lie somewhere in between reality and abstract; still relying on linear perspective but breaking some rules. I refer to my works as “referential abstractions.” I usually explore a similar theme by doing a series of paintings until I feel the need to move on. I work in all mediums from acrylic, mixed media, photography alone and layered into paintings, recycled art, recycled fiber arts, oil paintings. There are infinite ways to capture the inner beauty and emotion of nature. I find the process of painting to be spiritually uplifting and passionate.
