Nature is my muse.  In my oil paintings, I explore the repetition and organic movement that draws me to nature-  the elegant grain of birch, waves crashing in the Gulf, or erosion of land that exposes bedrock. I often paint on wood- selecting each piece for the beauty and movement, and then allow the grain to inspire my composition for the painting. 

 

Sometimes this is expressed as the ebb and flow of water, or the contrast of growth and decay. For me it is very calming to make my paintings.  I hope that viewers experience a calming moment while looking at my work, like taking a break in nature, and find something to restore their soul.

​

However, I am also fascinated by the precarious balance that exists between man and nature, a theme that I tend to explore more in my sculpture.  Themes such as what we find comforting vs threatening, man’s threat the environment vs man’s attempts to save the environment, or what is gone and what remains-  these are juxtapositions that I like to examine. I delve into how the juxtaposition between cast items and found, natural items combine to show the delicate balance between the beauty and strength of nature and how it nature rebounds, often in spite of our efforts.