Paintings
Artist's Statement
Since moving to Oregon’s Illinois Valley and more recently Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, I have been struck with the beauty of nature around us. Mountains, streams, pastures, forests and the big wide ocean ... all sing to me and inspire me to recall what I have seen in my paintings.
When I start a painting with acrylics, I delight in bringing bold colors to the canvas. Gradually I add detail to the overall sweep and perspective. As I paint I relax. The world falls away and my focus is on the feeling of the landscape I see in my mind’s eye. Photographs help to sharpen the memory of detail but much of what I paint extends beyond what the photograph shows.
Since I only started painting seriously five years ago, I recognize I am a newcomer to working with visual arts. I have exhibited regularly at Second Friday ArtWalks in Cave Junction and at Sterling Bank for the shows organized by the Illinois Valley Fine Artists. They have encouraged me when I was not sure I was on the right track and have made helpful suggestions.
I take classes when I can amid a busy schedule of publicizing my books, writing new material, playing with chamber music and providing consultations locally and internationally.
It pleases me when people enjoy my pictures and bring them into their homes by purchasing them. I hope the images help to lift viewers’ souls and to rise above the pressures of everyday life. There is an ongoing energetic connection between the owner of a newly purchased piece and me.