I am a self taught artist. Throughout my life art has naturally been a constant, as well as defining what it is that I do. With every piece I create, the continual journey of growing, stretching, and striving for my best is what drives me in my art.
When I was younger I was a jack-of-all-trades as far as medium. I have been a colored pencil artist for over 20 years now. The maximum control of both the medium and what is produced appeals to me. I will always be fascinated with how a humble pencil can be pushed to the level and impact of a painting. Invariably when a person sees my work they exclaim, “That is colored pencils?!” It is a surprise that I really enjoy. I supplement this medium with pastel works.
Many liken my work to photos. It has never been my purpose for my art to look like a photo. My goal is simply to draw what I see. My style is very realistic and does have an impact in that way, yet what excites me the most is the subtle details in each piece I create. I love absorbing myself in detail. Each color nuance, each shade and lighting highlight has so many different levels of subtlety. This is one of the great joys of creating art to me.
The very simple motivation in the art I create has been to create visually appealing work. Within the perimeters of realism, I try to have a classic or traditional fine art feel to my art. In this simple beginning there has grown a number of themes. One is the overarching theme of peace and tranquility. It is something I never sought to portray explicitly, yet has become over time quite pronounced. I have also always very much believed that art is synonymous with both the ideal and portrayal of beauty.
Another subject that has also come out in my art is garden flowers. This began quite practically in that my mother has always had very beautiful gardens wherever she has lived. They are a readily accessible source of beautiful subjects for me. I would say that easily 90% of my floral themes are from her gardens. Over time this has become a special thing to share with the world, as well as a special connection to her.
Christian faith plays a very big role in both my life, and my art. Much of the peace I portray is symbolized by this, or as a feeling or undercurrent. I find the theme of beauty is intertwined in Creation. I portray this by focusing on what is accessible around us.
Wherever I go today I am continually struck by the interest and love of art by the average person. I have come to have great respect for those everyday people who enjoy art.
Avenues for my art have been increasing over the past two years. I have shown my work locally in Easton, Pennsylvania. This past August I had my very first solo gallery show. Two works were accepted in a national art show in Texas last year (2013). My artwork has been featured in two colored pencil magazines, including the cover of CP Magazine, with a three page article and five works featured. A sunset piece is now included in a new book, called CP Treasures II. Much of my work is by commission for private clients. Having given four colored pencil demonstrations the past year, I now see possibilities in exploring teaching colored pencils, something I never imagined I would be able to do. These demonstrations were a terrifying step for me as I had never spoken publicly in my life, yet I received a lot of positive feedback.
Art has been a wonderful blessing to me in my life. As each door opens for my art it is a very exciting, challenging adventure.
