I grew up in the Palouse region, a major agricultural area in the Northwest, nicknamed the “Tuscany of America”. Its rolling hills and sinuous contours inspired me visually at a formative age. The graphic patterns and shapes of the fields influenced me to combine abstraction and observation in my art. After living elsewhere most of my adult life, I recently returned to this area, to explore it at a deeper artistic level. 

 

Influences include early 20th century Transcendentalists, European post-Impressionists, and postwar US Painterly Realism. What unifies these artists for me is their mix of keen observation and personal response to the world – as all things are interconnected, so it is with inner and outer realms. I create from a sense of wonder at the mystery, aliveness, and intelligence infused in the natural world – seeking to draw forth moments of quiet beauty amongst the ordinary, that might otherwise be overlooked. 

 

Being aware and bearing witness means being open to the world as it is – both its wonders as well as its tragedies. It means making art as a participant rather than as a detached observer. I seek immersion in nature, but human-formed still captures me, as I am inescapably a part of the human world. The interface between natural- and human-altered land fascinates me – the edges where those lands meet. Often these places are perched up high with eagle-eye views of grand views displayed below.