Why paint?
"Sometimes I ask myself, why paint a bowl of apples, why not just take a picture of it, or have an actual bowl of apples on the table to look at? What makes me want to capture the scene, set it down for all time?
For me it's all about the play of sunlight across a surface, a punch of intense color, or the way two colors dance together. Wind, rain or snow, or the way lights shine through the blackness of night. Something is happening.
"A really great landscape...
will have two or more dynamic elements that make me want to grab my brushes: strong light, shadow or color, a unique vista or palpable weather.
The sun setting so low in the sky that it's turned the field orange, and casting an enormous shadow that's heading my way.
"Still lifes...
are tricky because they can look so still.
I don't think of the painting as being about the bowl of eggplant - it's about how the light hits the bowl, and the vegetables peeking out of the shadows.
"And portraits...
which freeze a person in time, need to be full of the life of the person.
The twinkle in the eye, the sun glinting on the glasses, and capturing a spontaneous grin.
Beauty can be found in even the most ordinary of places
"It's not about recreating the scene; the purpose of painting is to express my reaction to the scene. ...Capturing the feeling that what I'm seeing before me is great.
"Painting is a spiritual journey. It's when I feel most connected. When I am fully present, beauty can be found in even the most ordinary of places."
"When these things are done right, it feels like I've preserved something important. That play of light is like Mother Nature peeking out from behind the curtain. She's been putting on a show and I've had a chance to share that scene with others."