I grew up with art. In my family, creativity was considered essential to living a full life. And after a 30 year career focused on economics and land use, I gave myself permission to paint seriously.
First, I went back to the basics, taking drawing and painting classes at a local college. Then I participated in workshops with master artists: Connie Adams and John Salminen in watercolor, Albert Handell, Dawn Emerson, Diana Sanford and Richard McKinley in pastel. I have studied plein air oil painting with Don Sahli on the beach in Maui and Cathleen Rehfeld en plein air in the Columbia Gorge.
My goal is to convey my love of nature using theories of abstract painting. My focus is on shape and color and the impact of atmosphere on the shape and color of familiar forms. I work in pastel, watercolor and oil. I love pastel for its simplicity of application, vibrancy of color and ease of mark making. With pastel, I can paint the strong muscularity of land forms as well as the motion of subtle cloudscapes and water. Oil painting is about brush work and using a huge palette to mix subtle color changes as the painting emerges.
Increasingly I have been creating more work in my studio - using compositions from my sketchbook and from my imagination. Studio work allows time to break things apart, to simplify, to delve into expressive drawing. I seek the confidence to cut loose from reality and let things just happen. It is an opportunity to paint bigger, with all the challenges that come with scale.
First, I went back to the basics, taking drawing and painting classes at a local college. Then I participated in workshops with master artists: Connie Adams and John Salminen in watercolor, Albert Handell, Dawn Emerson, Diana Sanford and Richard McKinley in pastel. I have studied plein air oil painting with Don Sahli on the beach in Maui and Cathleen Rehfeld en plein air in the Columbia Gorge.
My goal is to convey my love of nature using theories of abstract painting. My focus is on shape and color and the impact of atmosphere on the shape and color of familiar forms. I work in pastel, watercolor and oil. I love pastel for its simplicity of application, vibrancy of color and ease of mark making. With pastel, I can paint the strong muscularity of land forms as well as the motion of subtle cloudscapes and water. Oil painting is about brush work and using a huge palette to mix subtle color changes as the painting emerges.
Increasingly I have been creating more work in my studio - using compositions from my sketchbook and from my imagination. Studio work allows time to break things apart, to simplify, to delve into expressive drawing. I seek the confidence to cut loose from reality and let things just happen. It is an opportunity to paint bigger, with all the challenges that come with scale.
301 GALLERY
In 2018, I joined with 14 other Gorge Artists to create the 301 Gallery in downtown Hood River, and I have shown and sold my work there ever since. I participated in Gorge Artists Open Studios for the 10th year and I was honored to receive the Directors Award at the NorthWest Pastel Society's international show. I am now a signature member of the NorthWest Pastel Society.
Thank you for visiting my website. I hope you enjoy my work.
Thank you for visiting my website. I hope you enjoy my work.
