Contact
3 Sunset West
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 347-4203
My interest in painting stems from a lifelong passion for art and the personal enjoyment I receive from the creative process. I work with oil pastels and am dedicated to promoting and exploring this versatile but underappreciated medium because of its vibrancy and practical properties. With few exceptions, my works are small (about 9×12 inches), but rich in detail as they are executed in the “realist” tradition.
Subjects for paintings are a natural outgrowth of personal experiences, people and places recorded in my photographs which are used as reference images. The majority of the paintings have a direct or indirect aquatic theme or component. This is reflective of my career (marine biologist) and fly fishing avocation. Some works are more abstract in nature as I enjoy experimenting with unusual compositions and close-up points of view. The latter is probably the result of my long experience with several forms of microscopy. One recurring theme is expressed in the “At My Feet” series which highlights the interplay of light, rocks, and running water. Aside from personally meaningful images, my choice of subject matter is also influenced by a desire to challenge myself and the medium with interesting textures, lighting situations, atmospheric conditions, and environments. The detailed renderings required in my small paintings also afford ample opportunity for complete immersion in the subject and the painting process. The experience approaches a meditative activity which I value as much as the final product.
My hope is that those viewing my paintings are drawn into the works with a greater appreciation of nature and other elements in our world.
