Artist Statement
My inspiration comes from the Earth, from nature and its infinite colors, textures and patterns. My paintings describe the landscapes of places I have been and places I dream about. Landscapes stir my emotions, curiosity and spirituality. Vivid colors, dramatic lighting, texture and forms captivate me, while reminding me of the universal connection all beings share with the Earth.
Working in acrylics, I create paintings in layers, first washing in a composition, and then building layers of texture using paint, acrylic mediums, sand, paper, ground stone, metal and other materials. Finally I use washes and colored glazes to emerge the forms from the canvas, and metallic paints to emphasize reflected light.
My most recent series explores tree forms as human forms, with familiar gestures, personalities and sensual expression. As I travel - whether I am hiking in the Berkshires during fall, a redwood forest along the California coast, walking around my neighborhood, or visiting a Buddhist temple in China, I am drawn to the beauty and complexity of trees. I find inspiration in their human-like characteristics - in the flesh-colored skin of a peeling Eucalyptus, the soft ripples in the torso of a giant Sequoia, the old-grey wrinkled bark of an Oak, or the thick arms and legs of an ancient Banyan, reaching out in all directions through 800 years of stringy hair growth.
No matter where I go, the trees are survivors and their strength and beauty is universal. Each tree is unique, as is each person on this planet. I admire the trees, as they are strong, peaceful, knowing and deeply rooted in the Earth.
About the Artist
I am primarily a self-taught artist who has loved painting for over 30 years.
As a child, I studied painting with a neighborhood art teacher after school. I loved museums and studied works of great artists. Painting shaped my life, my identity and my core being. Throughout high school and college I continued painting on my own and studied drawing, photography and art history in school. In college I majored in Optics - the science of light - and became an engineer.
After graduating, I worked as an optical engineer and project manager and painted as a hobby. Painting was my form of meditation and grounded me during times of stress. I continued studying art through Pacific Art League of Palo Alto, UC Berkeley extension, and the San Francisco Art Institute.
In 2002, I chose to leave my engineering career behind and explore painting and art full time.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
Harbor Bay Community Center, Alameda, CA 2007
Seeking Answers Among The Trees, Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA 2006
Unitarian-Universalist Church of Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA 2005
Peninsula Community Foundation, San Mateo, CA 2005
Oak Creek Apartment Club, Palo Alto, CA 2005
Selected Group Exhibitions
The Beyond Cancer Art Project, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA 2007
Passion, Grace and Sacred Paths, Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA 2004
Best Sellers' Showcase, Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA, 2004
Art in the Park, Alameda, CA 2004
Water Works, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA 2004
ProArts East Bay Open Studios, Alameda, CA, 2004
Members Exhibition, Alameda Art Center, Alameda, CA, 2004
Earth and the Cosmos, Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA, 2004
We Like It Dirty, Heritage Square, Emeryville, CA, 2004
ArtPeople, Thirsty Bear, San Francisco, CA, 2003
ArtsLaunch, Nexus Gallery, Berkeley, CA, 2002
Student Show, Jeanne Brewer Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2002
Art in the Park, Andover, MA 1997
Student Show, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA 1990
Education
San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA 2003-2004, 2007
Taking The Leap, Emeryville, CA 2004
UC Berkeley Extension, Berkeley, CA 1999-2003
Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA 1988-1991
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 1982-1986
Travel
USA, Canada, Mexico, French Polynesian Islands, Caribbean Islands, Israel, France, Russia, China.
Collections
Mr. Ronald & Rev. Jan Shaeffer, Alameda, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Barry Doctor, St. Lois Park, MN
Mr. Timothy Gilman & Dr. Anne Marie Stilwell, Staten Island, NY
Dr. Philip Patston & Dr. Susan Viselli, Oak Park, IL
Mr. & Mrs. Burt Rosenzweig, West Hartford, CT
Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Meyerhoff, Seattle, WA
