I paint on location, amid nature. Only in this way can you study the true colors and shapes, get the sense of space and distance, see what the light is doing, feel the temperature, and really experience a place. The on-site painter is challenged by time, changing shadows, moving clouds, and wind, but it's all worth it because when you are there, your four-dimensional awareness becomes part of the painting and gives it authenticity.
I don't paint from photos, although I like photography, a distinct, creative medium in itself; but its optical technology "sees" the world in a way that is different from what I want to do in painting, which is not to render imagery from a fixed perspective or in a single moment, but to engage with and interpret nature directly.
I want to express and create sensation and feeling, and tap into memories. I'm seeking to convey emotion, beauty, and the sense of particular places.
Painting outdoors is meditative; one slows to the rhythm of nature. Looking at the landscape, I am conscious of the seasonal changes, and the cycle of decay and rebirth. Painting is for me an affirmation of the life-force.
I hope you like my work, and find in it relevant connections with your own life experiences.
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