My work is representational, capturing nature in a traditional manner using acrylic paint. As Ruskin said “Art is the uplifting of beauty so all can see and enjoy”and this is my goal. I work on canvas without an acrylic medium, and using only water for the many transparent glazes which afford depth, especially when painting water. I emphasize design in color and form and, for subject matter, focus on the endless change of the Michigan landscape.
While my approach is realistic, my finished work is not tied to the exact literalness of the scene, changing composition, values, or color when artistically necessary. I attempt to see natural forms as color shapes rather than merely as objects in space. This facilitates translation from the three-dimensional world to a two-dimensional surface.
My original sketches are kept very simple and rather abstract. The two most important things here are the design of composition and value pattern.
I use a very limited palette of eight colors and white, which permits me to express myself more clearly. Earth colors dominate my paintings, for I find neutral colors less tiring than bright colors. I spend an average of 30 hours on the development of a painting. I do not try to finish any one area completely, but usually keep working over the entire canvas. Quoting Emile Zola, ” The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without the work.”
I believe in the validity of realistic expression to communicate. Responding to life around me, I try to say something about the things I care about. Responding as a creature in God’s creation, I try to say something about the beauty of life and nature that is God-given.