Artist’s Statement

As sentient beings our natural inclination is to seek out those quiet moments for observation and wonderment.  Like many artists, my work emerges from the spark of all these impressions and sensations about what’s swirling around us in the phenomenal world.

Often, the elements of nature inform and inspire my drawings and paintings as well as the Japanese aesthetic of discovering a state of grace in the mundane and unnoticed.  The impermanence of fallen leaves, decaying fruit being scavenged by insects, or the luminous colors of dried fish lend themselves as subjects.  Or the stillness of being immersed in a surrounding landscape encourages an on-going series of drawings and paintings.  Further artistic explorations contain a range of influences:  a series of iconic paintings explore the disconnection between thinking and feeling. Ancient Mexican figures and folk art set in motion another series of shaped watercolor paintings.

Several of my paintings push beyond the rectangular format by exploring cutout shapes or several smaller canvases creating a larger image. Pop-up books have peaked my interest and, in turn, inspired a series of stand-up still-life watercolors.  Other watercolor surfaces have been gently curved and shaped into leaves and insects. The materials I work with range from oil to acrylics, watercolor, and mixed media.

As with many people I am currently concerned about the impact of the current governmental policies upon the global social/political landscape that, in turn, has provoked a series of mixed media paintings that integrate copy transfers of drawings.  One of these series involves a collection of “prayer flags,”  -- a sequence of paintings and drawings of daily observations. Consequently, as daylight is shifting and fog unrolls, the questions that remain for me as I continue drawing and painting are the following: What are the deeper lessons of observation and beauty? How can we step up from wonderment to direct action in our lives?