Bio:
I grew up in Cincinnati Ohio and have lived in New Hampshire, California and Tuscany, Italy but have lived in Olympia, Washington for 50 years. I retired from medical practice in 1999. I also travel photographed and painted widely in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
While living in Italy, I had the opportunity to make frequent visits to the great museums of Florence, Rome, Milan and those in the rest of Europe. Since then, I have travelled worldwide for inspiration for my images.
Now living in Washington, I do a lot of hiking in the mountains, forests and shores of our beautiful state. Here I do my photography for photographic art and as a basis for my landscape painting.
Although I have been doing art all my adult life, I have been able to devote most of my time to painting and photography since then.
I paint in both oil and watercolor. Subjects include landscape, still life, portrait and architectural work.
I have trained at:
The Gage Academy of Art in Seattle (multiple workshops)
The Scottsdale Artists' School in Arizona (multiple workshops)
The California Watercolor Association.
And with artists including:
Mitch Albala
Jim Lamb
Kim English
Michael Albrechtsen
Robert Moore
I have exhibited work at various venues in Olympia including:
Olympia Arts Walk
The Artist’s Gallery
And Juried Art shows:
Olympia Art League
Washington Center for the Performing Arts
Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts (Southwest Washington Juried Exhibition)
Indian Summer Spring Art Show
Artist Statement:
My basic philosophy about my work is to paint pictures that I like to look at. This involves much more than subject matter alone. It includes texture, rhythm, color balance and contrast, light and dark warm and cool etc. I want my viewers to have an emotional response to my work and to appreciate not only the beauty but also the fragility of nature. I hope that owners will enjoy their painting for a long time and find something new with repeated viewing.
To this end, I have studied numerous books from the classics of Edgar Payne and John F. Carlson to modern manuals on technique. In addition, I have studied in classes and workshops with accomplished painters. But mostly, I have spent many hours just painting from exercises to studies to finished paintings small and large.
My ideas and inspiration come from the subject matter first but also from the work and teaching of other artists, past (Caravaggio, Raphael, Courbet, AAgard, Morten Andersen, Thomas Moran), and present (Clyde Aspevig, Richard Schmid, Michael Albrechtsen).
Moving forward, I plan to refine my work and add more painting knife and other techniques. For subject matter, I have begun including more wildlife.