Red Desert Painting

Born in Washington, DC, I lived as an expat - primarily in South and Southeast Asia - for over 20 years. My love of travel comes from a fascination with learning how people live, especially as they interact with the landscape where they live. My work is about space, whether it's the vast expanse of a desert landscape or the quality of mind that accommodates all that arises within it. As a long-time meditation practitioner, I notice that what’s right before my eyes often gets obscured by the thinking mind. Making art helps me stay in the present moment to see what's actually there. The activity of painting is truly the only thing that stops my mind for any significant period of time. So I’m interested not only in the subjects I paint, but also the process itself. I try to capture the ineffable atmosphere in which things take place—the quality of mind--and space-- that accommodates all things. Having spent much of my adult life as an expat in South Asia, I’ve seen how art connects us to each other in a way that transcends culture. How language influences what we see--or don’t see. Each piece I create is an attempt to plant a seed of awareness, and to invite the viewer into a deeper experience of their own awareness—a sort of meditation in action. My hope is to convey how art is a bridge to this experience of connection-- with ourselves, with each other, and with something larger than ourselves. I work with a variety of media: I create encaustic monotypes by melting beeswax, pigment and resin on a heated aluminum plate, then laying down paper to absorb the design—or select aspects of it. Layers of wax and pigment may be added, both front and back to give the rich, often tactile effect of delicate, malleable stained glass. After creating an initial foundation of wax on paper, I often embellish with graphite, ink, stencils or markings to bring out hidden images that seem to mysteriously appear. I also paint with oil and sketch with ink and watercolor. Much of my inspiration comes from spending time in Crestone, Colorado, where I live part time. Recognized as a spiritual “power place,” seekers and pilgrims retreat to this high alpine valley to access inner wisdom. The surrounding Sangre de Cristo mountain range sets the stage for a mystical environment where “the veil is thinner.” Chagall, Rothko, Bonnard, Harald Sohlberg and the expressionists serve as inspiration on my path as an artist.