I gather impressions and inspiration by exploring the back roads, alleyways, and rural scenes of the local countryside. The images I create are intended to be welcoming and serene. The world is chaotic enough that we often need a place of rest away from the excessiveness of technology and materialism.  Having grown up in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana, I spent many weekends and summers on my grandparent’s farm. I find myself nostalgic for this rural lifestyle that was so definitive and concrete. This is reflected in my paintings of agricultural icons, old dilapidated structures, farm fields and animals. 

I paint both en plein air as well as in the studio. Either way, I enjoy exploring diverse color combinations by first wiping on a bright ground of magenta or other color on the prepared canvas. I then sketch in the composition loosely with a mixture of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue.  As the painting progresses, I add the darks and lights, sometimes allowing the bright ground to peak through. The painting often takes on new directions and a life of its own as I explore textural patterns, color and movement.