A Spiny Perch Painting

“Having created art from the time I was a small child, my first love was drawing and realism. As I grew older I began to appreciate art that was an expression of the artist and have since gravitated to abstraction of my subjects whether a landscape, portrait or inanimate object. “I choose subjects often seen at a glimpse, and use color, line, and shape to convey a sense of movement, inviting viewers to be active participants, and to feel they too are there seeing the scene or object alongside me. “I paint in both watercolor and acrylic mediums, and choose my medium depending on the size or intended mood of the painting. The emphasis in both mediums is the use of saturated color. With my acrylic pieces, I often use a black or vermillion gesso as the underpainting, allowing the color to come through or create outlines which gives my work a graphic look. “My work can be characterized like a road trip where you make new and unexpected discoveries, with my images conveying a dreamlike quality — familiar yet slightly foreign, recognizable but a little bit different. By creating a sense of movement through my use of line and color, I invite viewers to be active participants, to ‘wish they were there.’ Like a good book, I believe art can take us to another time and place.”