I am a Rhode Islander, born into the captivating complexity that is New England. Our seasons, with their pendulum of ever-changing colors, temperatures, and geography provided the rhythm of a childhood spent out of doors. I paint landscapes not because that is where I find beauty, although I do, but because in nature all of our senses become inseparably entwined. I mix colors that are able to evoke the biting cold of winter’s salt air or mimic the smell of late summer. With my paint, I can make visible the tones of parched soil or the saturation of color that emerges from a marsh soaked in rain, and then go further; paint the sound of distant thunder.
I choose to work in the medium of oil paint because it satisfies my passion for richer, deeper colors and finds synergy and harmony in the midst of contrasting and layered hues. Often I will paint a canvas and while it is still wet, I will scrape it down. Working over the stain, I will begin a new layer of color and when it is completely dry, I will sand it down and apply a third layer of paint. This is the stage from which the painting is completed.
Each painting is both a journey and an invitation. I begin by digitally photographing each scene. I am intentional with the angles that I choose. I love the way diagonal lines ask the eye to travel from one point to another. I like strong foregrounds because they function as the ‘thesis statement’ of my paintings. I pay close attention to composition and think about the relationship between each shape and element and then I consider the interplay between light and shadow. However, when all is said and done, for me painting is a spiritual act.
This is my world of creation, a gift from my Creator.