Ripening Painting

The goal of my work is to convey---simply and dynamically--- the essence, vitality, and power of the image or thought I seek to share. I think of my images as “distillations.” Travel in Asia inspired my interest in sumi ink-brush painting. It is fluid and spontaneous and we’re never quite sure what is going to happen. What a great metaphor for life! Often it is my own musings on the divine aspirations of the human heart that are my springboard for creativity. My work is also influenced by my upbringing in Alaska--- a celebration of the freedom and beauty of nature---and by my daily life and surroundings, having lived many years in a little log house on the south shore of Puget Sound in Washington State. I use traditional materials, ink and brush on paper, to capture movement and life — making the brush dance and the ink sing. Everything is captured in the spontaneous dance and movement of the brush as it meets the paper. There is no going back and correcting. Part of this process is overcoming fear and doubt and apprehension---and moving forward with courage. This is what creating art is about for me, and I hope this is what is conveyed through my art. Creating art with sumi ink is a dance full of power, and at the same time, full of great gentleness and humility.