Croton, Cactus and Bouquet of Flowers Painting

Plants, from houseplants to trees, have fascinated me since I was a child. I find plant origins so mysterious - how can that little hard seed in the ground know which direction through the dirt leads to the sunlight and the opportunity for growth? Plant anatomy interest me; their branch and leaf structure, blossom shape, the many patterns of tree bark. Naturally, given my interest in plants, I began painting landscapes. I love the Hudson River school artists and the generation of landscape painters who followed them. but I have always lived in urban areas where there are no magnificent vistas to paint. For a time, I lived in a house with a back yard, and I attempted to portray this mundane bit of greenery with majesty. I worked "en plein aire" in those days, not an easy feat! I was continually battling the elements; wind knocking over my easel; sun, which always seemed to be shining directly in my face; bugs attracted to my sunscreen. I abandoned plein aire painting when I discovered Alley Pond Park. Alley Pond Park is the second largest park in Queens, NYC, where I live, and the most authentically natural park in Queens, with many miles of nature trails. Day after day of walking these trails and looking carefully at all the different tree trunk shapes and bark patterns made me decide to begin painting landscapes based on the park. I take photos of remind me of perspective and how specific trees are shaped. Then in my studio, I create imaginary landscapes based on these photos and my memories of the park. Even Alley Pond Park has no noble vistas, Queens is too congested for that. So, my emphasis is on the sculptural qualities of tree trunks and the spatial interactions between trees, with foliage as a secondary motif winding through the tree trunks and unifying the composition. Color is very important to me, color and a vivacious brushwork that conveys the elan vital of nature. I have always worked semi-realistically, but I am gradually feeling my way to a style of painting where the gesture of the paint-loaded brush is as important as the object the brushwork is depicting.