Birthplace: Illinois 1963

MFA studio arts, John F Kennedy University, Berkeley, CA

BFA studio arts, Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts, New Brunswick , NJ

 

As a visual artist my enduring focus is of a poetic sensibility. Through direct observation I record the everyday and seemingly ordinary moments of life with paint and graphite. The passage of time, marked by changing patterns of light and color inspires me to enter into a dialogue with place. I respond with colors, lines, forms, and marks which act as a record of my experience of the ephemeral moments of beauty I encounter. 

When creating my work I reject the use of photographs, because what I am seeking is an aunthentic record of a moment in time being expressed through the medium of paint. It also occurs to me that the human eye, and the act of seeing and transcribing an experience into marks and forms of color, is a vastly different practice from working with the eye of the camera. Marks made in the moment, intuitive color choices and spontaneous gestures, intimately reflect the hand and spirit of the maker, at a point in time. 

The term observational painter has come into use, and I would say that is an accurate way of describing my approach. My goal is not to represent realistic or literal scenes, but instead to observe and convey a deeply felt experience of moment and place, through a personal expression of color and form. Ultimately I am looking for a fresh response, an intuitive sense of unity, and coherence in a finished piece. 

In 2014 I returned to painting from observation after a seven year hiatus. This change was unexpected, but it has led me to experience a deepening appreciation of the extraordinary present in the ordinary. In a world that is consumed by grasping, chasing, and wanting of something else, something other than what we have, there is a sense of peace to be found in contemplating what is and being present to it. The act of painting then becomes a vehicle by which we can practice being in the now, an expression of gratitude which is life-affirming.