My Artist Statement

I believe visual art should be object focused, meaning it should relate a story to an individual rather than relying on some historical theory. As artists, our work becomes a form of self-expression, but we know our work is incomplete until people see it and respond to it. A painting should initiate dialogue among individuals on what they see or feel and what they may want in their living room or workplace that expresses that feeling. While my work is self-expression, I want to be able to talk to individuals and paint what inspires them, a cabin in the wilderness, an eagle flying high, a buffalo in a snowstorm, or is it something more industrial. It’s different for everyone. Maya Angelou quotes “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have”. Van Gogh believed “Every wave of serenity and happiness, as well as every shudder of pain and despair, finds its way into paint; every heartbreak into heartbreaking imagery; every picture into self-portraiture. He goes on to say “I want to paint what I feel and feel what I paint”. That is why I’m an artist.