Seaside Buckwheat Painting

I was born in Massachusetts and raised in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Being surrounded by natural beauty year-round was a huge influence on me, and I began painting lessons at the age of 12 under Ted Ray, a well-known local artist. After graduation from high school I studied painting at Syracuse University, where I received my BFA in Painting in 1977. I moved from coast to coast but eventually settled in Portland, Maine for 10 years, where my career took an unexpected "commercial" turn! While sharing studio space with an accomplished book designer, I started receiving freelance commissions for illustration and graphics jobs. My clients included companies like McDonalds, L.L.Bean, McGraw-Hill Publishing and Windows magazine, as well as many ad agencies. I have had illustration displayed with the Society of Illustrators in Los Angeles and won numerous awards for my design work. Ultimately, I made my last move back to California 23 years ago. After concluding my career as an illustrator/graphic designer in 2017, I began concentrating full-time on my fine art. I paint primarily landscape and seascapes, but also create portraits. My work has been influenced by Impressionists like Mary Cassatt, Frank Benson, Arthur Streeton and Guy Rose, and the draftsmanship of Swedish illustrator Carl Larsson. I'm very interested in the texture and color of everyday things, and the effect that light and atmosphere have upon them. My usual subjects of interest are flora & fauna, mountains, cliffs, water and other topography. After painting in oils for many years, I've been experimenting with mixed media in watercolor/pen & ink, and most recently in the lesser-known water based medium casein. I think of casein as "gouache on steroids". It's capable of washes and glazes, as well as thick, opaque application.