Born in NJ, my love for art was nurtured by my family’s frequent trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where I was especially drawn to Flemish art. The effect of light in Vermeer’s paintings had a profound effect on me, and inspired a desire to paint subtle patterns of light and shadows as a way of clearly defining form.
Because I am interested in paintings that convey a sense of serenity, clarity, and quiet strength, I choose simple, uncluttered compositions and, to this end, my work reflects a minimalist esthetic. I also use a limited color palette.
My settings are often quiet, sunlit rooms with raking light across white walls and sunlight striking objects with brilliant illumination. I discovered that almost anything could be beautiful under the right lighting conditions, and this led me to paint mundane objects such as crumpled paper, aluminum, cloth, deer skulls, and even automotive parts.
In my work the shapes of light falling on my subjects and the light patterns and shadows function more than compositional elements; they often become the subject itself. I also prefer simple, geometric objects because of their purity of form, the way natural light falls on them, and the calm and tranquil atmosphere they evoke. To further promote the balance and harmony that contributes to the sense of calm and order in my work, I often incorporate the classic proportions of the Golden Ratio.
It is my hope that my paintings will offer viewers a window into which they can reminisce and revisit their own memories of quietude and peace.
Still life oil paintings…