I work every day making art with my hands, oil paints and canvas. My studio rests, on an island, alongside the Huron River. I Bring canvases to life with my oil paints and brushes. My three dogs sleep while I work.
I paint energy. I am an abstract expressionist painter. My inner world reflects the outer world. I call this way of painting the inner landscape. A deep inner world often forgotten by the chaos and distraction of our human race. My work is connective to our earth and to the spirit realm simultaneously and I am but a vehicle in this conductive force.
My task is to practice, stay open and refine my skill. This includes caring for my inner health. As well as, refining my skills with color, shape, brush work and form.
I layer the oil paints while physically moving my body with the big brushes over the large areas of canvas. Layering color with thin pigments creates depth and dimension, especially when I finish with the impasto technique.
Currently, I paint Water. Bodies of water, oceans and close ups of streams. The life blood of our planet. The rivers, lakes, oceans and bubbling springs have unique rhythms, like a sonnet, or an opera that I embrace, listen to, feel, and interpret.
As a swimmer, and a scuba diver, I immerse myself and plunge into the deep blues and greens. The cleansing rebirth of water rewards me. This I paint.
The water series runs deep. Emerging from my love of water, since little, growing up on Gull Lake. And, now Scuba diving at 160 feet below, at night, on the wreck of the Eagle, or resting under a 16 foot hammerhead shark as she glides over me. At home, Swimming down the mighty Huron River, as Blue Herons wings almost touch my wet head and Bull Frogs croak. I swim up the river and I float home. This is when, I get to be one with the creatures, seaweed, rocks, sun, sparkles, and all different clouds and weather pass me by.
Water is the life giving element that unites us, Cleanses and sustains us. Essential, on a very deep level, that it is time for me to focus my art on water because our planet is hurting.
Painting from my studio, on the mighty Huron, provides my practice a conduit for creating, with the hopeful outcome of offering healing. Healing By expressing, through paint and opening up a visual Language so others may see.
