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I never know at the beginning of a painting what it will look like when I am done. I do however set a few parameters to stay within. Drawing is crucial, and I begin with a clear plan of how I will place my subject on the canvas. I decide what the dominant colors will be, and all the other colors I use must relate to the colors I have decided will dominate. I block-in the entire painting with a wash of transparent paint before I put in any details. The painting evolves like a photograph in a developing tray; as time goes by, gradually the image takes form.
In art, the hardest skill to learn is to be simple. The best art amazes us because of what the artist left out. I think a lot about how we see. We see detail in only a tiny portion of our field of view, about 3° at the center; the rest is abstract. With each painting I experiment with how much detail I can leave out and what to make blurry or soft. I paint some parts of the painting with more detail or higher contrast to direct the viewer’s attention.
My current work grew out of a desire to create images that include a local theme. The people in my paintings are friends or clients. I paint landscapes of places that are within a few miles of my home, and my still life paintings include objects that have been created or grown locally. I marvel at the beauty of my southern Vermont landscape and the abundance of locally grown products I have at my disposal.
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