I am an intuitive and interpretive artist, one who paints my impression of reality. For me, color, light, form and texture provide the most important elements in a painting. The beauty of the landscape or the figure provides the inspiration and energy that enables me to create.
When painting "en plein air", I must manage the constantly changing light on a scene. I often start by making a graphite sketch, painting quick oil studies on board, canvas or paper that capture the light and shadow to provide a visual reference. My brush and palette knife move swiftly to capture the light across the composition. As the light changes, I complete one oil study and begin another. These studies become the source for future paintings.
Travel energizes me. I travel throughout Columbus and Ohio, searching for painting opportunities. I also paint scenes from my travels in North America and Europe. Last year, I spent a month painting in The Grand Tetons National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park and two months painting and studying art history in Italy. This year, in Italy I focused on painting scenes of everyday life in Tuscany. During the three months we spent there, I worked in my studio as well as devoting much time to plein air painting. I also studied the Italian language to further develop my knowledge of the Italian culture and lifestyle.
While growing up in Chicago, I began my formal art education and training at The Art Institute. I continued my studies in Brussels, Belgium when we lived there. Today, my knowledge grows as I continue to study art with Neil Riley at Columbus College of Art and Design and art history through participating in the Docent Program at the Columbus Museum of Art. I have also studied at the Studio Art Center International (SACI) in Florence, Italy.
I won first place in 2005 at a group show entitled, "All Things Considered" at the High Road Gallery in Worthington. In January 2006, I participated in a group show of artists represented by the Sharon Weiss Gallery at the City of Upper Arlington's Cultural Arts Center. One of my paintings in that show was chosen for the cover of Art Link Newsletter. In 2008, with the cooperation of the Sharon Weiss Gallery, I participated in a group show at the Lyle Gallery.
In Columbus, the Sharon Weiss Gallery in the Short North at 20 East Lincoln, where I had one person shows in 2004 and 2006, represents me. The gallery always has a selection of paintings reflecting the various genres in which I work.