Artist Statement

I was born and raised in Oregon. I grew up loving the woods I played in as a child, finding salamanders and little snakes, building forts, and discovering nature’s surprises. Now in retirement, after a career as a professional graphic designer, I have the time to pursue my first love of nature and its magical details.  The natural world, specifically the uncultivated landscape, is a constant source of inspiration for my work.  From lush forested mountains in the Pacific Northwest, to arid rock formations on the Oregon coast, I am drawn to the history and scale of these varied, untouched terrains.

 

Painting allows me to reexamine the detail and intricacy of nature in a more intimate way. Working directly from photographs I have taken, I select one based on its composition.  Watercolor allows me to represent the complexities of our local landscape through the layering of many color washes. While the subjects vary, I am particularly interested in our state and national parks and approach my work as a way of honoring that legacy.

 

Finally I view my paintings more as illustrations defining the natural world.  As a graphic designer I have great admiration for talented illustrators especially those of the past.  Among my most admired are Ivan Bilibin, N. C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle and Winold Reiss.