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Artist’s Statement
As subject matter I have always been drawn to the built environment and its ever persistent decay at the hand of nature. Most of my work is done “plein air” on site but some in the studio from photos or slides.
I began my art education under the instruction of my high school art instructor in public school in Maine, Barbara Loken. She introduced us to art history and immediately I surprised myself to see that I was drawn to the classics such as Degas,
David
, Pissaro, Lautreq, as well as the modernists like Picasso, Braque. I was fascinated by the classic/romantic dialogue and it’s interpretation in modernism. I continued with art history instruction while living in Rennes, and Paris France between the age of 15 and 17 with Jean-Philippe Lemee who took us through the great art and architecture centers of France from the Louvre, to Montmarte the Loire Valley, Mont Saint Michelle, and to the south Arles and Perpignan. This year solidified for me that despite my family's encouragement towards engineering sciences, art would always be my passion. I continued art history education and formal classic drawing instruction as part of pursuing my degree in architecture and urban planning at Lehigh and
Columbia
Universities
. At Lehigh I was selected as a drawing instructor’s assistant under the instruction of “GoldenSection” Artist Myron Barnestone of Barnstone Studios in Coplay, PA who was the first instructor to teach me that successful art and composition is as much of a science as it is an expression. This interest in the juxtaposition of form vs feeling was also what led me eventually to practicing architecture.
After college I was introduced to pastel with Diana Shank at the
Boston
Architectural
Center
.
Pastel led me to venture into color and eventually to the portability of watercolor and mixed wet medias. In 2005 I studied watercolor and mixed media with John Lovette, an esteemed Australian watercolorist as well as Frank Constantino locally. Today my passion lies in traveling and seeing. My inspirations are the traveling plein air watercolorists; Seargent and Turner. My painting series have included locations such as; the
Maine
Coast
,
Block Island
,
Marblehead
,
Gloucester
,
Boston
,
Venice
and
Chioggia
Italy
, and the
Greek
Cycladic
Islands
. I paint primarily in watercolor with some instances of mixed media such as ink, pastel, gouache and gesso. I consider my artwork to be studies of slightly abstracted urban and landscape forms to extract playful shapes and color compositions. While I paint from real subjects in my paintings I try to push what I see to exaggerate the forms and colors attempting to suggest life and personality in inanimate subjects. My ultimate goal is to express the passion for place and the love of the act of creating the piece.
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