Artist's Statement

I have been a nature lover since childhood. Even now, I remember with fondness the long walks I took with my dad and older brother through the local nature preserves. Nature and wildlife have always inspired me with a sense of awe and wonder that is now the driving force to my creativity. The simplistic beauty of nature evokes a response in me like no other. Wildlife adds the spark of life - that is why I paint it. Nothing surpasses the beauty and grace of animals in their  natural environment.

When I begin a paintings my choice of subject matter is something that has touched me emotionally. That is why my subjects are so often creatures close to home or those I have encountered while visiting far off places. I need to have that interaction in order to "feel" the personality or character of each animal. Often that contact is fleeting but if the response is strong, that encounter will find its way into my artwork.

I am especially interested in the light in my paintings. Early morning and evening light can transform an ordinary scene into a magical setting. I use what I call the "ahh" factor. If I wake up in the morning and look out my window and my first response is "ahh" look at that, you can be sure nature has transformed the outdoor scene into a fantasy land. It is this type of response that gets my creativity flowing. I incorporate these scenes and those I remember from past "ahh" events into my current work.

Artists have been told over the millenniums to paint what they love. If I am moved by what I paint then chances are you will be moved also. That is why I continue to focus on nature and wildlife. It is such an important part of my life that it is just natural for it to be focus of my work.