Artist Statement

I like to use northwest landscapes, seascapes and urban scenes as motifs to paint fun and entertaining paintings. My painting medium is watercolor although I do use some acrylic paints at times.

I started painting with watercolor and I am comfortable with the way it reacts on paper. I love the look you get from watercolor. You can do things with it that you cannot do with other mediums. For instance the variety of edges one can get with watercolor exceeds that of other mediums.

I also like the colors you get when you let the color mix on the paper. These “found colors” are one of the charms of watercolor.

My process of painting starts with gathering reference material. I usually have a sketchbook or camera at hand to record places, scenes and people. My final pictures may come from several sketches and photo references, not necessarily from the same place. Thus a painting may depict a northwest scene but not of a particular place.

Even when painting Plein Air I make a sketch first to compose the picture and then paint from the sketch, only looking at the scene to verify local details.

Artists are always changing as they experiment, learn and grow. I have chosen these paintings for this show because of their bright colors and they also show the direction my painting is evolving in.

 I am especially influenced by the simple joy of creation and the natural beauty we have surrounding us here in the northwest