Artist’s Statement
I am primarily a watercolor painter of realist landscapes and architecture. In spring and fall I augment my work with sketches and watercolors of birds to use later in paintings. Drawing is fundamental to my art. It is where I begin the process of making images. I am deeply satisfied by the act of creating drawings and paintings and cannot imagine life without my art. Each work is an act of renewal. I have field sketched and painted watercolors in the Cordova and Prince William Sound region for over 30 years. In my travels elsewhere - Nepal, Mexico, Interior Alaska, Chile, the Middle East, and the Northwest U.S. – I always carry a sketchbook and frequently my watercolors.
I have drawn since childhood. Art has long been a meaningful part of my life and a way to connect with the world. I am drawn to the simplicity and economy of drawing and watercolor. They are particularly suited to capture the light and character of my subjects and are my primary media. I have also experimented with lithography, monoprinting, wood block printing, oil painting, gilding, figure drawing, and design for a public space. It is gratifying when people enjoy my paintings enough to purchase them.
I follow a systematic approach when working on a painting. Starting with my field sketches, I make a small thumbnail drawing to get the feel for the overall composition and the lights and darks. From the sketch and the thumbnail I either go directly to the watercolor paper by squaring off, or I make a scale drawing on tracing paper the size of my watercolor paper. With this system, I can re-arrange elements to strengthen my compositions. This system works especially well with architectural subjects. I try to get the perspective right. Finally, I transfer my drawing to watercolor paper. From there I can dive into the painting process.
My goal is to capture the character of the landscape, architecture, and wildlife with an eye to the effects of light and weather. My works are visual souvenirs of my experiences at home and on my travels. In the case of my architectural works, I enjoy learning about their historical significance and their place within the natural world. I am also captivated by glacial landscapes with their sense of raw power but also ephemeral nature. I enjoy the sense of movement created by the illusion of depth in my landscape and architectural paintings. In my bird paintings, I often use shallow depth or two dimensional design to experiment with other forms of composition. My hope is that the viewer will feel the emotional impact of my subjects as I did when I sketched and painted them.