Artist's Statement

Nature represents life; its beauty and passion. As a realist painter I often explore the relationships of the natural world to that of our hard city spaces. Each work shows juxtaposition and paradox; lyricism and vibrancy against rigidity and static geometry, emotion in opposition to intellect, the deep human need for softness within our urban environment.

Realism is the narrative of abstract design - it is what we recognize in common human experience. I see beauty - in the most powerful sense - around me and in exploring the endless differences of beauty it becomes a part of me. That is why I love the figurative; it is a never-ending pleasure of seeing and sharing.

In my portraits a person's essence is created not only in the representation of the subject, but through brushwork as well as pose, color and space. My narrative portraits capture an instant that personifies the individual - an intimate moment in their lives.

The spontaneity of watercolor forces an immediacy of determined action for, as in live performance, it is that moment of putting the brush on paper that counts. There are seldom second chances. And yet the process is also almost meditative one for I slowly evolve a painting from intention to reality, often creating several versions, learning from each of them. This process of gathering knowledge and understanding is one of the most exciting parts of my process.

There is a different approach and energy in working with oils. I work, knowing that the media allows change and exploration at any time. There is a special excitement in attacking a canvas with the knowledge of the adventure before me.