Wild Sunflowers along the Rillito River Painting

I grew up in Connecticut, but have lived in the Southwest since I was 17. The climate, light, and culture of this area set my path as an artist and continue to provide the inspirations and connections I need to live as a painter. My medium has always been watercolor, it's a language for me that often seems more "native" than my spoken language. Beginning primarily as a still life painter, I have in late career felt drawn to paint the landscape and allegorical/archetypal pieces because they allow for inclusion of my inner expressions, impressions, dreams, and inspirations. I am influenced by John Singer Sargent, but also some unlikely artists who “speak” to me through process when engaging the work at the onset, such as Helen Frankenthaler; or in the more intimate struggles with color and texture, Julian Schnabel. A longtime student of Bruce McGrew, I often recall conversations we had about color, light, and seeing the unseen. Those conversations will most likely continue and influence my painting for the rest of my life. As a painter who works exclusively in watercolor, my paintings are an engagement with uncertainty, chance, and change. The work has taken me through many stages of personal development and transformation over the years. Watercolor is an extremely transformative medium because it requires constant negotiation with the water. This element by nature is an agent of change, changing forms within the painting process through its own passage from a puddle to air and lends itself to the character of my work with its distinctive voice within my paintings. Throughout my years as a watercolor painter, I have also developed a deep respect for the water that fills the belly of my brush because it holds a secret knowledge of creation and its own journey as rain, rivers, trees, and living beings. The water has arrived to assist me as an equal co-creator and offers influence in its own ancient language. Public Collections include: The United States Department of State, Washington, DC General Electric. Stamford, Connecticut Mountain Bell. Denver, Colorado Bankers Trust Company. New York, New York The J.C. Penney Corporation. Dallas, Texas Hilton Hotels. Chicago, Illinois Harris Bank. Glencoe and Hinsdale, Illinois Hyatt Regency. Oakbrook, Illinois Florida National Bank. Orange Park, Florida W.F. Conelly Construction. Tucson, Arizona Golden Nugget. Las Vegas, Nevada Northern Trust Bank.