artist statement

i paint with joy. i am painting for painting’s sake and to experience and share the enchantment that comes from looking, remembering, and painting.

i learned to paint by painting from life. i think it’s the best way to capture something real and true. i’ve discovered though that memory is true. feelings are true and objectivity is deceptive. in light of this discovery i’ve incorporated reference material into my practice. pencil sketches, watercolor sketches, oil sketches, photos i’ve taken, and sometimes pure memory becomes a painting. whether i am in front of a live subject, looking at a sketch, or looking at a photo, i draw upon memory and sensation to portray a scene.

i avoid narrative in my work. i try not to see “objects.” the only “object” is the scene. and even the scene doesn’t matter that much. i believe that the subject is simply an architecture for the expression of experience. in this way anything can become a worthy subject.

sometimes i think more about what i don’t want a picture to look like. i’m attracted to things like the way a particular color sits near another. i’m interested in the atmospheric color a scene. i don’t invent colors-everything is apparent; some things simply aren’t taken literally. it took me a long time to fully realize, but painting doesn’t have to come from out there; painting can come from in here.

open your heart when you look at my work. relax your eyes. think about what it feels like when you’re really just seeing something in the world.