"For me, the act of painting celebrates life. When I slow down enough to really experience what surrounds me, I become aware of myself as part of the 'whole'. My ultimate goal is to have the viewer experience this also."
I have done art all my life. My grandmother was a watercolorist and fairly good. She got a degree from the Art Institute of Chicago sometime around 1914. The fact that she painted made the pursuit of art a real alternative for me.
I majored in fine art in college because that is what I was best at. I also took many classes in English and Philosophy.
I am primarily a plein air painter because I love being outside and painting connects me to the outdoors. I want to capture the feel of the wind, the sound of beach grass rustling and the smell of the sun that has been absorbed by the sand.
I can't paint from photos, even if I was the person to take them, because they take away the immediate experience that I am trying to capture when I paint.
I consider myself lucky to have the passion that I have about painting. The act itself is rewarding. If someone feels that passion while looking at my work, then I have succeeded.
