INSPIRATION:
EACH PAINTING HAS IT’S OWN STORY.
ALL PAINTINGS START FROM REALITY.
I AM INSPIRED BY WHAT I SEE.
MOST FIGURE PAINTINGS START FROM LIFE OR A PHOTO OF SOMEONE WHO CATCHES MY EYE. AS I PAINT, I STRIVE TO FIND THE ESSENCE OF THE FIGURE. LOCAL COLOR DOES NOT ENTER INTO MY DECISION; IF YOU FIND SKIN-TONE FEATURES, IT IS ONLY BECAUSE IT IS THE CORRECT COLOR RELATIVE TO THE COLORS IN THAT AREA.
INSPIRATION:
EACH PAINTING HAS IT’S OWN STORY.
ALL PAINTINGS START FROM REALITY.
I AM INSPIRED BY WHAT I SEE.
MOST FIGURE PAINTINGS START FROM LIFE OR A PHOTO OF SOMEONE WHO CATCHES MY EYE. AS I PAINT, I STRIVE TO FIND THE ESSENCE OF THE FIGURE. LOCAL COLOR DOES NOT ENTER INTO MY DECISION; IF YOU FIND SKIN-TONE FEATURES, IT IS ONLY BECAUSE IT IS THE CORRECT COLOR RELATIVE TO THE COLORS IN THAT AREA.
I HAVE BEEN VERY BLESSED TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE RWANDAN COMMUNITY HERE IN DAYTON, OHIO SINCE 2003. MY DEAR FRIENDS, THEIR CULTURE, NATIVE CLOTHING AND CEREMONIES HAVE WON MY HEART AND INFLUENCED MY PAINTINGS. IN 2005 I WAS BLESSED TO TRAVEL FOR 10 DAYS IN GUATEMALA, VISITING THE HIGHLAND VILLAGES WITH A PROGRAM CALLED ‘CO-ED” FOR GUATEMALA DELIVERING TEXT BOOKS TO SCHOOLS IN THE HIGHLAND VILLAGES. THE CHILDREN, THEIR CEREMONIES AND THEIR NATIVE DRESS WERE A THRILL FOR MY EYES AND INCREDIBLE MEMORIES FOR A LIFETIME.
WE TRAVELED TO BANGKOK, THAILAND AND BALI, INDONESIA IN 1996. I WAS TAKEN BY THE STRONG COLORS IN BANGKOK; MOSAICS MADE FROM BRILLIANT COLORED STONES WERE IMBEDDED IN FACADES OF TEMPLES AND MONKS IN THEIR ORANGE ROBES WERE EVERYWHERE. THE BUDDA FIGURE WAS SEEN IN ALL BUSINESSES. THE PEOPLE WERE MORE SUBTLE IN THEIR EVERYDAY ATTIRE. WHEN WE TRAVELED TO BALI WE FOUND JUST THE REVERSE, COLORS WERE WORN BY THE PEOPLE WHIILE THEIR HINDU TEMPLES WERE DESIGNED WITH SOFT CARVED GREY STONE STRUCTURES. WE SAW BRIGHT COLORED CULTURALLY INSPIRED COSTUMES ON DANCERS PERFORMING OPERETTAS AT THE TEMPLES IN BALI. PEOPLE IN THE MANY SMALL VILLAGES DRESSED IN NATIVE ATTIRE EVERYDAY GAVE ME THE FEELING THAT THE ENTIRE ISLAND WAS A MOVIE SET.
I COULDN’T WAIT TO GET HOME AND CAPTURE ALL THAT I HAD SEEN.
I AM FILLED WITH JOY WHEN SURROUNDED BY THE BEAUTY OF FLOWERS. OFTEN THEY ARRIVE AS A THANK YOU OR IN CELEBRATION OF AN EVENT. I TAKE A PHOTO FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES AND USE THAT AS A START, THEN TURN AWAY AND PLAY WITH COLOR.
I AM INSPIRED BY ALL THAT THIS WORLD HAS TO OFFER. I WILL CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE ITS BEAUTY WITH MY BRUSH AND HOPE THOSE WHO VIEW MY PAINTINGS WILL ENJOY THE FRUITS OF MY LABOR.
MOST ASKED QUESTION: WHEN DO YOU KNOW A PAINTING IS FINISHED?
ANSWER: WHEN ALL THE AREAS OF THE PAINTINGS RELATE AND LIKE EACH OTHER.
MY SINCERE BEST WISHES TO ALL WHO COME TO VISIT MY SPACE ON THE WEB.