I have always been fascinated with nature and our relationship to it. My paintings focus on our connection with our natural environment, from the common, everyday, often over-looked to the apocalyptic.
Although nature is the subject for most of my paintings, it is the challenge of interpretation that is what my art is about. To capture the essence of what I see and feel about the subject is at the core of my approach to art-making, and comes out of my love for impressionist and expressionist masters. If I feel the subject or message I want to express is best done in a realistic style, then that is what I do. However, when I need to express an emotion or feeling, I use a looser, more expressive brushstroke and a semi-abstracted style to capture the essence of the subject.
In my work, I often use strong colors or a limited palette, but it is usually contrast that does most of the work of tying and connecting the other elements into a comprehensive whole. Color and contrast are dominant forces in my work.
It is difficult not to be influenced by my students and my job as an art teacher. I found myself, after the depressing awareness of the forest fires in British Columbia in the summer of 2018, being uplifted by my student’s optimism and artistic pursuits. Thankfully, my focus on the apocalyptic was tempered by images and subjects that are celebrations of color and life. This does not lessen the importance I place on the current state of the environment, but it offers hope and, for that balance, I am grateful. Due to my students’ influence, I often jump from style to style depending on the way I react to the subject or the techniques explained in class. I feel this way of making art keeps me fresh and engaged in the process.
