As a contemporary realist painter, I find solace and nourishment in the quiet and deliberate act of creating art. Many years after my classical training, with its emphasis on drawing and a deep knowledge of methods and materials, this foundation continues to shape my approach. From the earliest days as an artist, the fleeting effects of light - whether across the human form, on everyday objects, or the woods across the road - have always fascinated me. I look to painters such as Sargent and Sorolla as inspiring exemplars.  Over the years I have discovered that my work as both an artist and teacher offers the gifts of balance, sustained focus, and meaningful connections to others. Like my other passions, namely gardening and cooking, painting is a rhythmic, hands-on practice that grounds me, reminding me to be patient, observant, and present. Teaching students is also instructive, providing the same daily reminders while balancing the isolation of the studio. Sometimes I envy artists of a century or more ago, undistracted by an “internet” and possibly more attuned to the natural world. Now more than ever, I understand that the drive to produce work made with eyes, hands, and heart, in an analogue fashion is a deeply human and necessary act.  

“We express our being by creating. Creativity is a necessary sequel to being.” ~Rollo May