As a small child, nothing suited me more than sitting for hours in my tiny rocking chair, happily drawing on paper taped to a board my father had cut just for me. My childhood pleasure in creating pure art was suspended, however, for most of my adult life as I eventually came to be a museum exhibition designer.
While immersed in daily work life, my artistic impulse continued to develop and grow and express itself, woven into the exhibitions I designed. Finally, now retired from the design profession, and free of the confines of scope and budgetary demands, I am able to pursue my true passion.
In the winter of 2012 I began to draw and paint again. Picking up a brush after a forty-year hiatus was daunting, but I was fortunate to have the support of my family, friends, and talented and dedicated teachers to get me on the path of pursuing art.
While painting is a privilege and a pleasure for me, every painting is a challenge. Somehow on those rare occasions when things are going well, the painting practically paints itself. Color, composition, and value, assemble almost as if on autopilot, communicating ideas and emotions. The most important part of this process for me is not a picture-perfect representation, but capturing the essence of or feeling or sense of a particular still life, figure, or landscape scene I’m painting through color, light and brush strokes. My paintings are often about their ethereal or atmospheric quality versus realism. As I have continued my learning process, I have been surprised to discover that seeing is only part of what I am trying to create. My hope is that the paintings I make enable viewers to not only see ordinary subjects in a new way, but feel them in a serene and peaceful way, drawing people out of daily rigors of life.
It is this childhood dream, alive and well, that I share with you. If you would like to view a portfolio of work, visit my website.
7 Palettes and Their Art 