February 2007 Artists of the Month

Each month LARAC highlights the work of an Artist from the Adirondack Region.

Everywhere I look in the landscape I see elements such as cool or warm shadows, greens that require interpretation, or shapes that can be worked into a painting.  The process I go through to make sense of so much information is to begin a progressive process of selection and elimination.  I have to decide what I want my painting to be about and begin to break down each element as to shape, mass, value and color.  Painting outside, where everything is there in front of me, helps make me a better painter.  As an artist it is up to me to be selective and make the most interesting painting that I can.

Artists talk a lot about “truth” in nature. The truth is that everything you need to make a masterful painting is right there in the landscape.  But being able to internalize and use that truth takes many hours of work, a lot of paint and a lot of canvas, and most of it won’t end up on someone’s wall.  Another truth is that working everyday builds the foundation that contributes to success.

When I walk into a museum or art gallery to see a particular artist’s work, I am inspired and invigorated by that person’s handling of textural elements and portrayal of light and color.  If the light depicts an intensely bright sunlit landscape, and I instinctively squint, I know I have encountered a masterful painter.  I am compelled to return again and again to the painting taking in every nuance.  My objective as a painter is to constantly work towards perfecting my craft so my viewers will sense the same excitement with my work as I do when I view a finely crafted painting.