Artist Statement: My art is an exploration into both the natural world and the manmade world. It involves how people live with nature. I like bright colors and detail. I primarily work with oil paint and watercolor. Though I am expanding with using enamel, acrylic and other mediums. I want my art to be a visual reminder of how things appear in the present so that when people look at them in the future they can remember.
Before I begin a painting I have to decide how I want the painting to be felt to the viewer. The best way I can describe this is by giving an example of an oil painting and a watercolor. I will choose the watercolor for something I want to be seen as soft and light. Like a cityscene or a landscape can be painted in watercolor to give a sense of easiness, yet exactness. A landscape or cityscene painted in oil gives a feeling of liveliness and expressiveness. The colors can be brighter and darker and more emotion brought into the piece. More depth and shine can be brought into the painting with oils. I try to make each piece different even if its in a series.
In my current series I am focusing on farming. It can be branches of a peach tree, buckets of strawberries, people working in the field, farm equipment or anything else that catches my imagination. With these paintings I try to convey this as a beautiful thing with lively colors and careful brush strokes. In attacking this subject I am trying to improve my skill and figure painting. Figure painting is not a favorite of mine but by mixing the figure and the landscape its less intimidating.
