Even as a child, my enjoyment of God's beauty revealed in nature was never ending. The intricacy of colors, patterns, light and shadows has always fascinated me. And what better medium to capture all this than watercolors.
In 1974 I began my career as a commercial artist, when being an artist actually meant drawing things, as opposed to just using a computer. Then in 1977 I launched out on my own, upped my title to "graphic designer" and gave myself a raise. That was almost 30 years ago. Over the years, between the usual advertising design accounts, I have illustrated mostly in pen and ink, enjoying the detail and precision of "pointillism" - drawing with tiny dots that took as long as an hour to fill a 1" square. It was tiring and eye-straining, but rewarding.
In 2001 I decided to try my hand at painting, after so many years of black & white pen drawing. After researching acrylics, pastels and oil painting books at the Barnes & Nobles library, I realized that watercolor had an irresistible draw on me. I would give it a try. A month later I was in France and Austria, and searched for the perfect scene to be my first painting. I found it in Vienna - a colorful outdoor flower shop, enhanced by rain showers, reflecting beautifully on a cobblestone street.
I've always been guilty of just jumping into things, so when I returned I bought paints, brushes and paper, and sat down to capture that scene. What resulted is the painting "Vienna Blooms." From my first brush stroke on the blue/gray awning, I was hooked. It has been a love affair ever since.
One of the notable features of my work is the detail in the paintings. This comes from years of rendering those pen & ink drawings. I just love detail. Unfortunately, that means a painting can take as many as 30 hours to complete, like the "St. Frances" statue painting. But, I'll continue doing what comes naturally, and what I've grown to love. I've been blessed far beyond what I deserve with family, friends and gifts, and will be ever thankful.
