YEARS PAINTED
1999-2011
MEDIUMS USED
ACRYLIC, OIL, WATERCOLOR, PEN & INK
FEATURED LOCATIONS
HOUGHTON, MI; TWIN CITIES, MN; ST. CROIX RIVER, MN; WOLF LAKE, MN; SEDONA AZ; LAKE TAHOE, CA; WOODFORDS, CA
Although the initial reason I began to take art classes was so that I could learn to draw the human figure more accurately, the truth is that my first love was landscapes. Like many new artists, I believed I was going to be another Monet or Cezanne. Clearly that never manifested, but I did manage to produce some legitimate landscape paintings!
During my first years I dove into plein air painting, lugging around my gear and making a spectacle of myself. Eventually, however, I began to work less in the natural environment and more from reference and in the studio. I won’t say that this approach makes for better or worse artwork, but it does make for an entirely different experience.
“There is something both terrifying and comforting in that experience.”Vincent Van Gogh
Featured Image
Leaving the Distractions Behind represents my love for stormy winter days at Lake Tahoe. Trying to capture the whiteout conditions on canvas is near impossible. And it reminds me of the art school joke where the student turns in a blank piece of white paper and calls it Winter Snowstorm. But I do absolutely love the insular feeling of being outside in the middle of winter during a snowstorm. There is something both terrifying and comforting in that experience, and Tahoe has some of the best whiteout conditions around.
Comments (2)
I have a water color you did in 2004, titled: “marsh” 12’x 9″
Excellent! Thanks so much for the support, Philip 🙂