Artist’s
Statement:
Art is the expression of a personal, sensual experience.
My experiences as a traveler through the world have compelled
me to capture on canvas the sweeping vistas of the landscapes
I’ve seen, the energy, flavor, and light of the
backstreets of cities and villages, and the color, texture,
and motion of the seas and the boats that float upon
them.
Over the years, I have found the best and most natural
expression of my art to be in oil. This medium seems
to be the most fluid and accommodating, especially when
I
am painting on location in all types of weather conditions.
I have only been painting for eight years. For the first
six of those years, I journeyed periodically throughout
the eastern United States trying to capture some of the
beauty of this country on canvas in addition to the various
locales in Europe which I loved to visit and paint. I
owned a retail business as well as doing some real estate
developing
in Florida during this time, so painting was relegated
to a “part-time job.” About two years ago,
I realized that the desire to create something tangible,
lasting, and personal had become a driving force in my
life. I sold my business, wrapped up my development deals,
and sold the house my wife and I had renovated. We set
out for Europe and the life of an itinerant artist. We
were fortunate enough to be able to travel for a year abroad.
We lived in Ireland and in France, using those as bases
to meander through many European countries, always gathering
new inspiration for my paintings. I have tried to capture
some of the sweeping vistas of the landscapes we have visited,
but I have been particularly drawn to the backstreets of
the many European cities and villages. I love the energy,
flavor, lights, and the sight of everyday people going
about their everyday business in these places. I try to
do quick sketches on location of the scenes I want to capture
and then return to the studio to create a larger, more
detailed work. I have found this approach to be stimulating
and helpful in both a technical fashion as well as in the
entire creative process. I am now living in the United
States and am thrilled to be able to capture my own country. |