Statement about my work
I believe that that nothing is as it appears.
I paint people and places in ways we do not normally see or think about them, combining the real and imagined. They challenge expectations and preconceived beliefs.
Regarding materials, I paint with oil on canvas or board. I rarely use any mediums other than Gamsol solvent. When I travel, I like to sketch my surroundings in watercolor or on my iPad.
My Bio
I was born in Wisconsin, spent my formative years in Tucson, Arizona, traveled and lived abroad for 14 years, and currently live in Colorado. Along with a lifetime of painting, I studied small mammals in the southwestern US and Mexico, wrote AI software, worked on cruise ships, and was a psychology professor. I have exhibited paintings and sculptures in Colorado, New York, California, Oregon, and in Germany.
The Sonoran Desert influenced my outlook on life and art — When I was 8 years old, I walked into the Arizona Desert, alone (true). My journey spanned several years and countless miles of brush, cacti, and rock. I hiked to the tops of hills and crawled down into abandoned mines and caves. Hunted rabbits and scorpions. Discovered a petroglyph site. Was surrounded by coyotes, javelina, and hundreds of bats. Ate cactus and agave fruits. Skinned an elephant (true again) and talked to snakes, mice, and a mountain lion. These experiences made me sensitive to the presence of living things. That all things are interconnected. That nothing is as it seems.
In front of Moulin Galette, Montmarte, Paris