Artist Statement and Process

I see beauty all around me…..I look for it in the people that I know, and in the glorious landscapes that surround me in the Pacific Northwest. If some of that shines through in my art I can feel fulfilled with the process. I am especially interested in achieving a sense of inner luminosity in my paintings, which is my way of expressing what I feel is the essence or spirit of my subjects.

The portraits and landscapes each begin with a thumbnail value sketch to flesh in lights and darks and a center of interest. I will often paint a small color sketch for portraits to make sure of my strategy for the background because in this medium it is difficult to change one’s mind in the middle of a painting.

In all my paintings, I use a layering process to achieve a greater intensity of color and value. Often I start paintings using the three primary colors in superimposed washes. If I dry each layer before applying the next, this process will set up an atmospheric underpainting which gives the effect of “glow.” Sometimes I apply materials such as salt, acrylic gels, or saran wrap to add texture and depth to the initial washes, especially when painting florals. As the work progresses I am conscious of gradations of color, variety of shapes and sizes, and particularly quality of edges – I like to soften and lose edges to enhance a sense of luminosity in the painting.

It is my greatest hope that my images will help others connect, not only to the beauty of the natural world around them, but also to the spiritual essence within themselves.