Artist Statement

I don't have to travel far to find wonderful subjects to paint.  Many times inspiration is as close as my own backyard.  I enjoy gardening and being in the garden.  I especially love painting the flowers I find there.  I am drawn to subjects that are bathed in interesting morning light.  It is a fascinating challenge to attempt to capture the atmosphere of a Kansas garden or landscape with watercolor washes.  The transparency of the watercolor translates particulary well to the translucency of flower petals.

When I start a painting, I like to first paint it in mono-chrome.  This helps me analyze the lights and darks and to make any adjustments before the paint touches the paper.  Watercolor is a somewhat unforgiving medium, and corrections can be difficult, so it is best if they can be avoided.  The next step is to establish the local color.  Once dry, I like to proceed with transparent washes.  This gives the subject its translucency, and where the subject really begins to come alive.  The last step is to enhance the shadows and areas of contrast.  This step has the strongest influence on the atmosphere of the painting as a whole.

Although, my art education has been informal and self-directed, I have managed to take many  workshops and studio classes from several very talented artists.  A couple of which had a significant influence on my art.  The one artist that I can harken my love of painting flowers to is Sarah Kirschman.  In my younger years, I spent many afternoons and evenings at her dining room table painting flowers she had plucked from her prolific garden.  I attribute my approach and handling of color to many years of study with Kandy Tate, a contemporary artist whose studio is in Santa Fe.