Artist Statement

As a child I looked closely at the beautiful landscapes my great grandfather painted. Despite fine arts training and out of financial necessity, he had to sacrifice painting until he raised a family and retired from farming. I didn't want to wait until retirement to explore painting, but I did decide to paint with oils too when I picked up the brush in 2008. Since then, I have learned the elements of painting by working both in studio and en plein air, with some private instruction. Farms and their historic buildings appeal to me and I often paint them on location with permission.

When it comes to painting farmscapes, figures are an essential element of the landscape and convey what it is like to farm today. I want the viewer to observe how Old and New juxtapose in everyday existence including Who brings the farm to table and How they do it. The technology in my paintings, agricultural or not, alongside traditional pastoral subject matter is meant to highlight this dichotomy. Farming is as demanding today as it was generations ago, despite advancements meant to make it easier.

Because I work full-time as a teacher during the school year, I have the opportunity to do a lot of my plein air painting during the summer. Each new "painting season" invigorates me as an artist and takes me on adventures where I meet new people and discover more wonderful places to paint. Whether I focus on depicting a flower or take aerial drone footage at a farm, I am storing up what will be my creative sustenance in the studio for the rest of the year. I am ever thankful for the ability to spend my time this way and hope to share the joy of this experience with you here.