Why do I paint? Like many artists, I would say that I have to.  Riding along on a train or train, hiking in New Mexico, or weeding the garden, I am mentally painting. Images and possibilities are streaming through my mind. The exploration of color and light is my highest purpose and holy grail.  It can be described as a journey without arrival.  I paint almost exclusively in oils because of their intense color, texture and shine.  Oils provide the flexibility to represent the power of light, the richness of color and the mystery of shadow.  When I set up a still life, I am striving to create the drama of light moving across an arrangement of objects. Plein-air painting is, for me, an adventure in studying the gorgeous grays of an overcast day and the warmth of a sun lit afternoon.  Recently, I have begun to paint portraits, which provide me with a huge challenge and great learning experience. 

I have had the privilege of studying with a number of very fine artists during my painting years.  My first mentor, Ernest Principato, a former local resident, taught me about color and the study of nature through the vehicle of out-door painting and still life.  I later studied at the Cape Cod School of Art with Lois Griffel and Rob Longley. In Taos, New Mexico I was fortunate for several years to take workshops with David Leffel and Sherrie McGraw.  Currently, I am learning from portrait and still life painter, Michael Seigel.

Over the years, I have participated in the Wickford, Scituate, RI, and Newport art festivals, and in juried shows locally and beyond.  I have had shows at Spring Bull Gallery in Newport and I am represented by Five Main in Wickford. I am an associate member of Oil Painters of America, and I have memberships in South County Art Association and Wickford Art Association.