My Statement

I can not remember a time when I wasn’t sure art would be the focus of my life. It is amazing to me that artists can communicate to the world in the universal language of color, shape, value and line, it’s like magic. Regardless of style, media, technique or subject, the process is the same, a transfer of emotion from artist to viewer.

In my art the relationship between nature, man and time weave an underlying theme. My style, medium and subject vary in relationship to the message I wish to convey. My art is a visual diary of my life. I don’t always look for my subjects but I know when I see them. Often I record visual information with a camera or a sketchbook. Sometimes I will see an image and retain it in my memory for years before developing it into a painting. Another method I use is to construct a composition from various sources.An example of this is “October Morning” an acrylic painting that appeared on the cover of Readers Digest. The lower half of the painting I used as reference a photograph I took of a small stream in the Adirondacks, the upper half is a composite of several photos, sketches and props.

Most of my work is done in acrylic, oil or watercolor, I find that each of these mediums has a characteristic that is unique. The subject will often dictate which media I choose. Besides media, a subject can also influence the painting style I use. What I refer to as style in my own work is essentially the amount of detail that I feel is neccessary to communicate my message. I will also on occasion work on location doing plein-air. Some of my subjects are from places I have traveled to, but much is found close to where I live in the St. Lawrence Valley where the landscape is historically rich in variety of man made and natural elements.

When not traveling, my wife and I live in Ogdensburg NY, where I have a studio and my wife Brenda operates a custom frame shop.