Manifesto: Blue Marble Earth No. 4 Painting

Art is my life. From early on, I was the designated class artist and loved having the ability to communicate visually what I felt inside. For over a decade now I have painted as a fine artist, and have found joy and been rewarded with winning national competitions, exhibitions and international sales. Having spent a career as a very disciplined, hyper-realistic and accurate medical illustrator, I now revel in finding unique, tantalizing ways to record the natural world. Each painting is carefully considered, sometimes in a series such as a unified approach to painting a landscape. What's most important is that each painting is defined by the moment it is created. Whether it reflects a mood, a moment, or something so beautiful it had to be painted; my soul goes into each stroke, color choice, composition and execution. The dynamic fluidity of mixed and layered acrylic paints is allowed to flow unfettered. It may be controlled with brushes, wedges or masking, with an underlying preconceived final vision guiding decision-making. Painting provides a sense of peace and productivity that is unmatched. I feel a profound reverence for nature and have a heightened sense of urgency driving me to engage people with nature through my work. Moving to Asheville two years ago, I immersed myself in the gorgeous surroundings, finding a deep connection to the mountains, the waterfalls and skies. I love the process of first hiking, and then painting plein air, then taking observations back to the studio and creating a profound response to the experience. A new series, the Manifesto Series, is designed to prompt people to relish their interactions with nature and the world: politically, physically and emotionally. Ultimately, I want my work to elicit a positive, meditative response in the viewer, leaving them with positive feelings about the earth and its extraordinary beauty.