Romeo and Juliet Painting

Inhaling the scent of a water lily at the age of eight at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens was, I believe, the first time I experienced intoxication. I was in the Japanese exhibit and I remember getting down on my knees, bending over a water pond and leaning toward a bright blue, purple tinged flower and breathing in. The combined beauty and exotic fragrance imprinted in my mind forever. And so began my love affair with the Japanese culture, which led me to the phrase, ‘Kohan ni Shitagau.’ It literally means to follow the request. At age 33, I had a dream…and so began my art career. Kohan ni Shitagau… ‘Kohan ni Shitagau’ is a basic principle in Japanese garden design which asks us to listen to the land to see what action to take. I love that; it seemed natural to apply that to all areas of my life. I studied everything from garden design to Judo. I had a crazy sense of balance when I was younger and although I didn’t formally attend, became the lead sparring partner for the West Point Judo team. I found myself studying many of the principles borne of this culture that surfaced in unexpected and profound ways. At age thirty-three, I started painting. I literally woke up from a dream and pursued the creation of what I saw in that dream. The result was a fifteen year run of 3 dimensional birchwood wall sculptures which were exhibited in over forty-five galleries nationwide. They all had windows and recreated European scenes of gathering places where life unfolded. Another influence on me has been the cinematic arts. I love film and have been fortunate to attend many film festivals around the world. There, I get as much stimulation and inspiration from watching what unfolds on the screen as I do from the cities, towns and people. I believe this enlarges my heart…and then we get an opportunity to share and build worthy connections with others. I believe this is where we can “find” ourselves. This is what I like to explore in my work.