ARTIST STATEMENT

My work explores the powerful interplay between Realism and Imagination. While Realism can create a reliable world of what is, adding the element of Imagination can open a universe of what could be. As I search out an open-ended narrative my goal is to paint something whose meaning can evolve over time, like an multilayered allegory that both welcomes and challenges.

When I first started painting over forty years ago, I simply wanted to express sanctuary. New England’s fleeting light and extreme seasons afforded me a treasure trove to paint of all that is peacefully glorious and mysteriously real. Stylistically, I drew from Impressionism’s vibrant color and brushwork tempered with classic Flemish and Italian Renaissance techniques to convey a lush and optimistic sense of Nature.

Over time, I found myself wanting to deepen my art practice. I was interested in building my technical skills, but moreover I needed to examine Art’s purpose and my place as an artist.  

Ultimately, through my 2016-18 graduate study of Contemporary Realism, I discovered the Philosophy of Imagination, and became fascinated by how the human ability to form mental images has the power to engage complex thoughts and creative possibilities in the safety, or sanctuary, of one’s mind, thereby making Imagination into an evolutionary mechanism. To make artistic images and engage viewers, in short, is a chance to create moments for wonderment by inviting the contemplation of the unknown which can challenge bias, and, most important, open space for breakthrough and transcendence.   

Currently, I am examining the theme of paradox in a series of large paintings called “Rupture” in response to the fire that destroyed my home and studio in 2023 and the consequences that tragedy set in motion. Each combines figure, nature, and still life to compose mediations of permanence and impermanence in a world of rupture. My intention is to incite curiosity through imagination, providing sanctuary not only to restore, but to offer opportunities for elevating our understanding of the world.