Artist Statement

When I create, I bring to life a fanciful place or creatively record where I have been. Landscapes appear to me in such unlikely places as the light that shines through a glass onto the wall, the folds of a cloth, or the inside of a flower. The tree that twists up into the sky, takes me with it to a place I can only reach visually … or in my dreams. My mountain scenes are emotional journal entries from hikes and backpack trips.

Painting leads me on an adventure of relationship and self-discovery. The process begins with the excitement of being “in love” with the work. After a rapid and impetuous under-painting, comes the arduous middle phase, which is a detailed adding, taking away filled with both love and hate. Near the end there is contentment, accepting of the way the work has changed and now hangs. Finally, from a view across the room, I enjoy a completely different course through the finished framed piece.

Producing art gives me the tools to teach well, the quiet to listen to what my Creator whispers, and the opportunity to travel while standing still.

With gratitude I mention the inspiration I have received from the fanciful and religious writings of C.S. Lewis, the attention to detail developed through my undergraduate scientific studies at Purdue University, the love of low-lonely-light found in the works of Edward Hopper and Albert Bierstadt, the playful places and simple composition discovered in Louis Nevelson’s work and Piet Mondrian’s trees, creative bravery gleaned from my students, the love of adventure from the writing of Colin Fletcher, and the lesson of hope from my family and my God.