ARTIST STATEMENT

I choose to paint nature to escape this fast paced, high tech world that we live in. As people advance further into technology, we sacrifice and lose a bit more of our humanity. Nature is a form of escapism for me and my work is a focus to reconnect myself back to what I think is truly important and to evoke that same reconnection to viewers. Capturing the beauty and subtleties of nature is a constant source of inspiration that I never seem to tire of and what I am most passionate about.

When I paint, I am immersed in an almost mediative state of a particular place that I’m painting. I am experiencing that place once more. I recall what I felt when I was there, what I observed, the sounds, the weather, the light, and study the photos that I have taken to reference that place and capture it in such a way to bring my own personal view and experience of it. By doing so, I feel even more connected to that particular place.

I have a deep connection to the Cape Cod area in particular and I am greatly inspired by it’s wild and preserved areas. I have visited there nearly every year for the past 15 years and the majority of my most recent work is of areas such as East Sandwich and Martha’s Vineyard. I also paint places in and around Lancaster County, Pa., and the surrounding area, where I have spent most of my life. While I enjoy painting landscapes, my most recent works are a desire to look further, deeper and more intimately at nature. The viewer will find that the majority of my works are rather small, usually under 8 x 10, I have a certain fascination with small works, they beckon you closer for a more intimate interaction.

My hope is that my work brings a sense of peace and tranquility, some rest against this hurried world as well as restoring a connection and reverence for nature. Wild places are diminishing all over the world due to human impacts and I hope my work can transport the viewer to a place of calm and evoke a longing to reconnect with nature. May it inspire viewers to go out and look at wild beauty more carefully, with more intensity and cherish it. I focus on creating contemplative works that at the same time are deep, moving and powerful.