BFA from the University of Michigan School of Art 1984, Magna Cum Laude
Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Studio and Forum of Stage Design 1985-1987
New York, NY USA
My main motivation is to create modern landscape paintings. This is a grand tradition that I want to be apart of and to bring something new to. I am often inspired by the vistas I see while driving, and am intrigued by the geometry and compositions that I see which are quite different from those seen from a still perspective. The sense of motion, and the obvious signs of the manmade world make these landscapes feel contemporary to me, and in fact I think represents how many of us experience the world these days in a fast paced way, a step removed from nature. I am interested in the environment and the way we utilize the earth, and enjoy presenting the intersection of the natural with the man-made world. I don't seek for the pristine or dramatic landscape but more of the simple beauty that can be seen in an ordinary place. In my work composition is of utmost importance, I am extremely interested in the formal properties of the paintings and I think this is another characteristic which sets my work apart from others in the landscape tradition.
This painting is of a Colza field in France. I am drawn to the incredible yellow colour of the flowers, and the composition that is created by the stripe of colour. This is one of a number of paintings I have done of Colza fields, which I have never seen in the United States. I have found them captivating visually and conceptually as they are a major source for biodiesel fuel as well as many other industrial uses. You can also see sorts of towers and fences, parts of our modern world. The sense of motion is subtle in this piece.