My work is an
emotional and visual response to physical environment, time
and place, and the world of dreams. Possibly the only thread
of continuity is my desire to interpret and communicate
the single fleeting moment of visual or emotional experience,
whether it is based in "reality", or remembered in dream.
I have been fortunate
to live in some of the most beautiful places on earth. Having
grown up in the Southwestern corner of Colorado, I spent
several years living on the Navajo Reservation around Monument
Valley and Canyon De Chelly. Several years later I lived
on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, before moving to the Austin
area. My work is a personal reflection of my experience
of these physical realities.
Watercolor is
my chosen medium, but the paintings are always based on
original drawings in either graphite or prismacolor. I am
definitely not a formula painter as such, as I continue
to do experimental work. However, I work mainly with the
three recurring themes of desert, ocean/tropical and trees.
The trees represented in this series are my response to
the hill country. I love the varied form and texture of
the live oaks, as well as the variation of color that is
created by different lighting effects. To me the live oaks
represent all that is disappearing from the natural landscape
of the hill country. This series is an attempt to capture
some of the spiritual essence of these wonderful old trees.
When I lived
in Hawaii I often painted on hot pressed paper, which I
stretched, so that I could apply the pigment in layers.
This technique allows for the light airy feel which captured
my feelings about the tropical environment. Since I have
lived in Austin my work has become much more "weighted"
with stronger, more intense colors. This new palette is
a direct response to the heat and density of the hill country
environment, and also serves to record my experience of
the redrock desert country of the Southwest.
