Artist Statement

I first started painting in 1998 when I retired after 32 years in civil engineering. I wanted to try something different. I started with drawing classes but soon started taking watercolor painting from Chris Keylock Williams and other local art instructors. I was hooked! Since that time I have taken workshops from many nationally known artists. I am inspired mostly by nature so I paint a lot of landscapes. However lately I am drawn more to experimenting with shapes and color.

Bright color inspires me and I think it brightens up rooms during our gray northwest winters. Although I paint mostly in watercolor, I have experimented with acrylic and collage. Recently I took a marbling workshop from Susan Cowan and will be incorporating some of those techniques into my paintings.

Most of the time I paint in my studio; however, occasionally I join a local paint-out group. For the past six years I have participated in the Artist’s Against Hunger effort begun by local artist Phyllis Meyer. Each summer, we meet up at the Beaverton Farmers Market and paint “plein air” while people stop and watch. We sell our paintings on the spot, and a portion of the proceeds go to the Oregon Food Bank.

I have benefited from classes and workshops at the Village Gallery of Arts and elsewhere. One of my favorite workshops recently was taught by Skip Lawrence and Christopher Schink. I really enjoy reading their publication The Palette Magazine because it has no advertising and contains lots of good information.

More than anything, I paint for fun and enjoyment. It is a welcome diversion from my more structured life as an engineer and enables me to enjoy the process of creating.