This page describes my artist statement and why I paint.
My life as an artist has been a journey that has been really exciting, and in some ways has surprised me. The surprise is partly in the fact that I can actually "capture" a little bit of "time" in my paintings and be able to look back and see what used to be, and the other part of the surprise is that I still want to paint as much as ever. My growth as an artist has helped with the process of increasing my skill as a painter and this just seems to be getting better with time. Every time I do a new painting I learn and get better at it. To be able to capture a scene and turn it into a beautiful painting is absolutely magical. When I am painting I get so engrossed in the process of painting that I lose track of time. This is the enjoyment part for me. I started out painting landscape, but also paint floral, and animals. I would like to do more portrait painting. My painting style has evolved into a more impressionistic style. I have a tendency to have a lot of vibrant color but have learned to tone this down to just some. Although I do get excited with more color in the painting. I have found that I do my best work when I work outside on location en plein aire. When I am out on location I can get the best light and shadows to work for me in the painting. To capture a scene in a painting outside, I will have to return to the same place at the same time for several days until I have enough painting done, then I can finish it in the studio. If I think it will be a really nice painting, then I can make a larger painting out of the small one done outside. When I am painting, I try to instill in the painting my feelings in order to convey them to the viewers. If I can bring out an emotional response from the viewers, then I have done my job as an artist. As an artist, you see the world in a little different way than other people do. I hope to bring "my world" as an artist to you.