Painting always begins as a dance with light, color, form and space. The painting comes to a conclusion when I can "breathe the air" in the new imagined space, and feel some of the vital energy of the original experience.
Current Projects
Outdoor still life: After living in central New York for almost two decades, the bright sunlight in Florida is a new and welcome challenge. I have moved the still life outdoors to capture the unique colors of light and shadow.
Landscape: Landscape has always been a great love at home and through travel.
People and Crowds: The beach and farmer's market are feasts of non-regular pattern and color. In groups people are another element of pattern, but individually and in small groups I am fascinated by body language.
Animals and Birds: photos are essential to stop action, and they give me the opportunity to study detail that I would never see otherwise.
Bio
My formal art education began in an intense fine art program at Cranbrook-Kingswood High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. At the University of Michigan I earned a BFA in Graphic Design. I worked in Boston and in Portland, Maine as a graphic designer and art director. I value the many things I learned in the business, but after ten years I was ready for new challenges in fine art.
The Maine landscape was the force that sent me back to painting. As much art as I had made to that point, I really hadn’t found a subject that spoke to me so deeply. I worked exclusively in pastels through the 80’s and taught my methods in adult-ed courses. After 12 years in Maine, job opportunities took us to the New Orleans area, and subsequently to Baton Rouge. I returned to school to earn my MFA from Louisiana State University. Grad school was a rich experience 20 years after undergrad. With nine painting professors to guide me, I gained a greater appreciation of contemporary art and art history. I also taught courses in drawing, color and design.
In 2000 I joined the faculty at State University of New York, Cortland, where I taught painting, drawing, figure drawing, color, and BFA thesis courses. I also Chaired the Department of Art and Art History. I am now retired, as a Professor Emeritus, and reside in Southwest Florida.