The deeply felt poetic quality of color is the single most compelling aspect of painting for me. I use chalk pastels for my initial studies, creating roadmaps for larger oil paintings. To work out the paintings based on these sketches, I have developed a process that uses a combination of a fine grain acrylic medium, and brush and palette knife work to create a soft dusty texture in my paintings that is very tactile. My hope is that it becomes a contemplative space for the eyes. The color speaks, but also the subject matter, whether fields that take the eye to the horizon, or a tender young pine tree. I desire my work to have a sense of gentle presence. There is always an implicit invitation into this dream world.
My work has been shown extensively in the mid-Atlantic region in juried shows and galleries and is included in corporate and private collections. You can view my work at the Annie Gould Gallery in Gordonsville, Va, Dwell Fine Art and Craft, Hume, Va and at Liberty Town Arts Workshop in Fredericksburg where I have a studio. Also at Whitby’s, a home goods store on Caroline St. in Fredericksburg.