Cocoon Series 23 Painting

I grew up in Bloomington, IN. As a child and young adult, I spent a great deal of time outdoors in the woodsy environment of the midwest, thereby gleaning a lifelong interest and passion for all things nature. Since then, I have studied natural sciences and gathered enough understanding of how things grow and exist in the physical world to bring a deep influence to my work. This influence can be seen in not only the themes I choose, but in the layer-based working process I use to make my highly textural and organic looking surfaces. My mediums I use in my main body of painting work include oil and oil based mediums, cold wax mediums, and texturing elements such as sand, crushed wax and chalk. After earning a BA in Fine Arts from Indiana University, and an MFA in painting from the University of Cincinnati in 1994, I began a career in art and art education that has lasted over two decades. I now live in North Carolina, and am a member of Frank Gallery in Chapel Hill, NC. I teach workshops in my studio and also create illustrated books.