Sunflowers for Vincent Painting

I am a Denver native who has lived in California, New Mexico, and Honduras. I kept coming back to Denver. I’ve spent many years photographing and traveling in the US, Latin America, Ireland, and Spain. Along with fine art, my commercial work has included wedding and portrait photography. A high school film-making and photography class 40 years ago provided the environment where I recognized in myself the passion for creation that has been a driving force throughout my artistic life. Artists give many reasons for making their art: a desire to communicate, a need to express their feelings, and the inspiration they get from looking at another artist’s work. The main catalyst for my endeavor is the joy that I experience and am able to share with others. My creative fire is kindled by the people I have met in my world travels to places like Mexico, Honduras and Ireland. Improvement in one’s craft comes with experience and hard work, but inspiration is also essential for the artist who wants to develop his or her talent to the fullest. Making photographs and paintings and sharing my work is as integral to my life as are eating and sleeping. I am a graduate of New Mexico State University, an avid student of Spanish and collector of folk art. While serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Central America for more than two years, I began producing a series of photographs that reflected her experiences of living in the high jungle rain forest of Honduras. I love variation, with a taste for abstract patterning and the repeated use of bold colors. I work in both oils and acrylics. I believe that all art manifests some aspect of the autobiographical. All art is history, a diary of one’s personal growth and psychic resolution. I am energized by travel, personal freedom, new friends, and new attention to my work. In Honduras, I painted most of the day, every day, since it rained 9 months a year on the mountaintop. Having a daily routine led to a large collection of photographs and paintings. Many of the paintings were made from my photographs. I have worked with abandon, and this is where the joy comes from. I have participated in over 125 exhbitions and publications, including 30 solo exhibitions in various Colorado galleries. Local venues and galleries include The National Center for Atmospheric Research, Camera Obscura, Foothills Art Center, Museo de Las Americas, and Curtis Arts and Humanities Center.