In truth, I have no credentials
other than my paintings, which will have to speak
for themselves. It would be nice to have impressive
credentials, but I don't enter contests or join
organizations to promote my art. I'm not a
promoter; I'm just trying to be a good painter-not
an easy task, and whether I am or not is for you to
decide. There are no copies of my paintings. They
are all originals of various sizes and styles. My
aim is to draw the viewer into the painting as a
visual participant rather than a passive
observer.
Self taught, I began oil painting several years
ago, and painted in a very representational way, as
most beginners do, but later realized that no
matter how hard I tried to replicate what was
before my eyes, the constraints of pigment and
light prevented me from truly reproducing every
nuance of the subject. In time, I finally saw the
"light". If I was to be a creator and not a copier,
I had to express my inner self on the canvas and
let the subject matter be a conduit to that end.
After all, memorable paintings are really an
expression of self over subject matter. When that
happens for the artist, painting is more fun
....... more rewarding ....... hopefully more
beautiful, and the viewer sees something beyond the
tangible world. Another thing I like about being a
painter is the independence and potential for
personal satisfaction, almost to the point of
selfishness, because unlike some art forms such as
music or theater, the painter is on his own .......
no one else to depend upon ..... no one else to
share success or failure.
My wife and I, along with our Labradoodle Becky,
live on a forty-acre ranch covered with oak, pine,
and fir nestled against the foothills of Potter
Valley. Retired since 1990, I have been a stage
manager, actor, and scenic designer in the
professional theater, a high school teacher, a real
estate broker, and now, dare I say it, a
painter.
I can be reached by
e-mail:

or
707-743-2307.
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