When I paint, it is essential for me to experiment in subject matter, media, and style. My work may be representational or otherwise, although it usually presents itself as suggestive of the natural or organic world.

Because of its tactile and viscous quality, oil paint has tended to remain my favorite medium, although I also work in acrylic, collage, mixed media, and watercolor. I work in any or all of these media simultaneously and become involved in whichever medium and style I am currently using.

My work is focussed on color and the physical feel and look of paint.   I let the paint lead me to the story that the canvas will tell, to the location that is an abstracted landscape.  In addition to the abstracted vision that surfaces, an important goal is an intriguing composition of made of these elements: brushstroke, color areas, lines.

I begin my paintings outside in nature. I initially scout for a location and subject which has meaning for me,  and then return to that site to paint. There, I am influenced by the all the elements. This affects my painting and the feeling I put into the paintings. Being at the site allows me to deeply experience the nature subject as I am painting it.  

I like to explore how humans affect nature and how nature lives in it's environments, with or without much human influence. Often, I am attracted to aged forms of life - old trees and vines or massive rocks have a kind knowledge beyond human understanding. And the delicate beauty of a wildflower and a field of grasses has equal allure.

My paintings are completed in the studio. At this point, I work from memory and feeling. As the work evolves, it sometimes changes from the original scene, taking on its own life. The painting eventually becomes a memory of my experience with the environment. There is a deep personal connection with each painting which always remains with me.

I am passionately inspired about luminous light and shadow and the sensuous nature of objects and their relationships to each other elevated to a higher level. The goal of my work is to capture the moment of wonder in everyday objects that may reveal a story for the viewer. I choose my subjects very carefully for the magic of their texture, color, or graceful design . Whether it be a persimmon with leaves, a shell, antique glass, exotic orchids, some gourds or a pear, all are transformed in paint with many layers of glazes some in oil on canvas and some in watercolor on paper.

Contemporary realistic figurative, portrait, landscape and still life drawing and painting

I was in raised amid New Hampshire’s seacoast and mountains. My travels have taken me to Alaska, Mexico and as far east as Kyoto, city of temples. Self-taught, I work primarily with forms from the natural world to create visual spaces of harmony: animals, plants, water, sand. I strive to convey the grace, strength, and fragility of life, as well as its lush vitality.

My portfolio contains both representational and abstract works.  I merge realism with slightly fantastical elements, and the concepts of beauty and playfulness are very important to me in my work. I am also fascinated with the play of light on water. My paintings are meant to create a space of refuge for the viewer.

Home now is San Francisco, where I can be found climbing hills, walking along the coastal cliffs, and painting in the amazing light. My work is held in corporate and private collections worldwide, shown in national galleries. I love what I do, and it’s my great pleasure to share it with you!

The fundamental nature of my aesthetic rests in the use of simple, quiet compositions that visually communicate emotion within the precepts of narrative realism: intimate scenes of family gatherings, unusual renderings of ordinary objects, subtle glimpses of everyday life. These images are collectively reflected on stillness, solitude, and mystery, yet with an element of comfort and familiarity. My creative approach is driven by the desire to balance traditional principles of painting and contemporary design, seeking inspiration from by a variety of artistic genres and periods, including 17th Century Dutch genre paintings, 19th and 20th Century American Realism, as exemplified in the works of John Singer Sargent and Andrew Wyeth, and modern documentary photographers such as Walker Evans and Sally Mann. Specific elements of design play an integral role in the result of each painting. By way of example, careful color selection is essential in conveying the underlying mood of the composition. My Interior paintings are rendered in rich, warm colors that blend to convey a sense of intimacy and tranquility, and are reminiscent of the candlelit luminosity of Baroque paintings. Comparatively, the Gray series features gradations of blues, greens, and grays often juxtaposed with soft earth tones that collectively capture the spirit of natural environments and the gentleness of dimly lit rooms. Feelings of mystery and lucidity are conveyed in my nighttime scenes, employing a softened palette to emulate the allure of nocturnal light. Another important stylistic choice is the size and shape of the canvas. Some paintings are square-shaped, as if providing a window in which to carefully observe. Others are evocative of elongated Chinese scrolls, rendered on vertical and horizontal rectangles that lend to a panoramic view of my subject. The size of my paintings is often smaller in scale, granting an intimate setting in which people may closely observe the painting’s content and arrangement. In my effort to coalesce traditional and contemporary design practices, I strive to create works of art that retain a timeless quality while incorporating contemporary subject matter. In doing so, it is my resolve to provide viewers with visual explanations of emotion that will hopefully make for a lasting impression