Afternoon Break Painting

I was born, raised, and currently live in west central Florida. I spent my childhood exploring the woods and fishing the local ponds with my boyhood friends. I was also the kid that could draw, these shaped my passions and my identity from an early age. I have a close family, been married for 31 years to my best friend, and have two grown children that are creative in their own right. ARTIST STATEMENT Beauty is all around us. But, we live in an increasingly hectic and fast paced world that can often make it difficult to see this beauty, much less appreciate it. As an artist, I feel I have a responsibility to capture, record, and interpret what moves and attracts me. Creation tends to move me the most. I see it everywhere, from the early morning light, how the sun turns objects into various shades of warm golden hues, to the sublime beauty of a well worn object that has served its purpose well. I can find beauty almost anywhere. Primarily a landscape painter, I have come to understand that painting from life is essential to not only improve ones skills, but more importantly to be able "see" and capture the truth in color, form, and atmosphere. When painting from life, the artist has a much greater opportunity to convey the experience of the place they are working in. My intent is to paint with expression and light. To not just render, but create a sense of atmosphere and place. I want the image believable, but also contain the emotion I feel when observing the subject. A “painterly realism” is a good way to describe it I think. In doing this I hope to honor, and to point to the One whom created all things, and this beauty is evidence of. I am mostly a self taught artist, spending extensive time since early childhood studying the artists I admire and their techniques, along with many instructional publications of various genres.