I was voted “Most Artistic” of my high school class. So I took the most obvious next step: I went to college and got a degree in Engineering... ...So, art was squelched for a time. But I observed that, over the years, my artistic side would always seem to find a way back to the surface, in one form or another, like a ray of sunlight breaking through clouds. On my birthday in 2004, I received a book by Danny Gregory titled, “Everyday Matters” in which Gregory demonstrated a simple, unassuming, yet accurate drawing style. Intrigued, I immediately bought a set of sketch pens, a sketchbook, and a small set of watercolor paints. This small spark led to my decision to commit to art once again, and to express my creativity through watercolor painting.
I’ve had some level of drawing ability for as long as I can remember. I feel most like the real me when I’m drawing or painting. I do art because I love the feel of creating, the simultaneous excitement and calm it bestows, and because I am being true to this curiously wonderful ability, in whatever measure, that was given me. My goal is to someday instruct others in watercolor by writing books and conducting workshops.
I often work from photographs; however, I greatly enjoy plein air work. Artists who have influenced me include Danny Gregory, Anne Elsworth, David R. Becker, Joseph Stoddard, Tom Lynch, Charles Reid, and Cathy (Kate) Johnson.
My current work is typified by landscapes, my favorite subject; I’m drawn to all landscapes, but especially to mountains and pastoral scenes of rolling hills. I’ve recently been exploring the portrait and the figure; I participate in a local life-drawing group to develop my skills. I constantly struggle to loosen up my work, and am putting more emphasis on value: getting more light into the painting, balancing values, and composing based on value.