Artist's Statement

My most recent work is centered on the search for the Sublime, Iconic, American vista and how painting becomes a way of understanding my place in it. 

I am interested in the role of painting historically in the development of an American identity and sense of place. 

The questions I ask are:  What part is invention?  What part is mediation?  What part is fiction?  What is the role of memory?  What is uniquely American?  What do I expect to see in these so-called sublime spaces?  Why am I, like so many, drawn to them?

It is important for me to be in the landscape and experience the light, weather, and changing nature of the place.  I paint studies In Situ.  These include oil studies, drawings, watercolors, photographs, and journals.  When possible, I collect rock and plant samples from these locations.  Upon returning to the studio, I will develop the finished paintings, often relying most heavily on memory. 

Ultimately, I love color, paint, texture, space, air, and light.  I have a compulsion to paint and be in these places.  I cannot separate my need to transcribe these experiences of place and the experience of painting itself.