Artist Statement
I am a portrait painter. A portrait painter of flowers. My work begins with an encounter with a flower that captures my attention. After my initial attraction, I carefully observe the flower. Sometimes the color or form attracts my attention, but most often it is the interaction of light with the flower that intrigues me. Often there are moments when a flower seems to speak to me, and I find myself thinking, I have to paint that.
I believe that all Mother Nature's creatures possess a spirit. My purpose is not simply to reproduce the appearance of a flower, but to manifest its spirit. To do this I observe it long enough and closely enough to discover its individual presence. I do not alter the flower to make it more expressive. Truthfulness to my subject is important to me. Like a portrait painter seeking both a likeness and the character of a person, I want my flowers to remain botanically truthful while revealing something beyond their physical appearance.
Light is central to this process. I am fascinated by the way it falls across a flower and passes through translucent petals, transforming color, revealing form, and bringing the subject to life. Through composition, color, value, light and shadow, I try to recreate the qualities that first compelled me to stop and look.
I work primarily in oil and watercolor, using each medium for the different qualities it brings to observation. Oil allows me to build depth, luminosity and subtle transitions of color through layers of paint, while watercolor offers transparency, immediacy and precision. Drawing and tonal studies slow my process and require me to look more carefully before I begin the finished work.
My paintings and drawings are ultimately celebrations of flowers. Through sustained observation, I seek to share the wonder I experience in their extraordinary diversity, color, form, light and serene beauty. I want the viewer to pause, look closely, and experience something of the spirit that first caused me to say, I have to paint that flower.