Artist’s Statement

April 1957 – May 2014

The art that has inspired me through the years has captured something of the essence of what the artist loved and responded to the most. Calder’s childlike spirit lives on in his wonderful circus creations, and his ability to see the substance of both positive and negative space has reserved for him a place in history as a master of the mobile, if not THE master. Vermeer captured the jewel-like quality of light and will forever be one of the most-loved artists, true to his vision and love for the everyday scenes around him. And Winslow Homer once painted a small painting of children playing on a beach; for all his classical training and academic success, this painting is so affectionate in its spirit, that at least two people must have wanted to own it. At a show of his work at the MFA in Boston, it appeared to have been cut in two and framed to make two separate paintings hung side by side in a corner of the exhibit. It is to me his most memorable work.

So, as an artist, my objective is to capture the essence of what I love and respond to most—the beauty of nature, a bird in flight, wind in the trees, an ephemeral sky—anything that points to a divine source and helps to lift our spirits higher. When I walk away from an exhibit and feel uplifted, I know that the artist has captured something of the divine, and that their art will endure, and I hope the viewer will experience some degree of inspiration when they visit with my work, as well.