I am inspired by the abstract shapes and colors of the urban and natural environment, and the way objects are illuminated by light. Sometimes I paint a close up view rather than a broad landscape, in order to emphasize the abstract elements of the subject. I often carry a watercolor journal as I visit places far away or in my own neighborhood, and record my experiences with paintings and written descriptions. Sometimes, I return to the same place time and time again, at differ ent times of the year, or at a different time of day, or in different weather conditions. Often, a photograph taken on one of my expeditions will become an inspiration for a studio painting. Painting outdoors helps me to capture the feeling of the place or the subject, and also to express this feeling in my studio paintings. My background in architecture, combined with a recent visit to Italy, inspires me to paint architectural scenes which may include ornately carved buildings, sculptures, or other man-made objects. Sometimes, the structure simply fulfills the need for shelter, but often, its form becomes a sculpture in the landscape. From concrete, wood, steel or stone, a building rises from the earth. Its function is to shelter. Its form is beautiful or brash. I hope to share the spirit of the place that rises beyond form and function.

In addition to architectural scenes, I paint subjects that include water and its reflections. Water often changes the way we see things, both by refracting light and distorting the objects we see through it, and by reflecting the objects above it. Whether we are listening to the roar of waves crashing along the beach, or the soft gurgling of a fountain, the sound of water soothes our spirits. People in the paintings represent the way the human spirit is nourished by water and the environment around it. I welcome commissioned oil portraits, for which I usually take the reference photographs, but can also use an old family photograph.

I paint with watercolors, oils, or soft pastels, depending on the subject and the mood that I want to represent. With oils, I begin by creating a value study with a single color of brown paint over a white primed canvas or wood panel. Using either a brush or a cloth, I alternate between adding paint or wiping it away, letting the white surface show through to create lighter values. When this layer is complete, I let it dry, and then add color thinly, letting the initial value study show through in some places. I complete the color layer within a short period of time, so that the paint remains wet and I can blend the colors. When I paint with soft pastels, I use Nu Pastels, Sennelier, Rembrandt, and Great American pastels on Wallis paper. I draw the image carefully in graphite before adding color. Often, I begin with pastel pencils on a detailed portion of the painting, before creating value, and color, and texture on the remaining portion of the painting. Near the end of the painting process, I add more darks and lights, to emphasize certain places in the painting. The pastel sticks to the rough surface of the paper when I drag the stick across the surface, creating texture. When I paint with watercolor, I mainly use transparent watercolors on Arches 140# cold press paper. I draw my image on the paper carefully, planning where I want the whitest places to remain. I save the whites by painting around them, or masking them with Pebeo. Later, I may add a small amount of color to these places, keeping them lighter than the surrounding area. The glowing colors result from using transparent colors, and not over mixing the paint. If I paint more spontaneously, I may use gouache to add some highlights on top of the darker colors. With any of these media, I use photographs for reference, but each painting is done completely by hand on a blank surface.

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