B.A. Yale 1988

J.D. Cornell Law School 1992

 

I am self-taught.  After receiving my license to practice law, I switched career direction when I decided to pursue my life-long interest in art.  My earliest work was primarily illustrative.  It included a collector’s print, book covers and a series of greeting cards.

 

More recently I have concentrated almost exclusively in fine art.  Raised in the mid-west, I was struck by New England’s scenery, historic architecture and changing seasons when I moved here for college.  I enjoy painting the landscapes, both natural and architectural, that first drew me to the area.

 

I worked initially in watercolor and acrylic, before turning my attention to oil painting.  For the past year I have also begun painting in egg tempera.  I find the challenge of switching among these disparate mediums particularly rewarding.  One goal in my oil and egg tempera painting is to capture the pastel-like softness that helps to make my watercolors appealing. This softness can balance pleasingly with the tight detail generally inherent in my work. I enjoy capturing texture and detail, but keeping my brushstrokes larger and looser in certain places can serve an important function in the development of the overall composition and aid in focusing the attention of the viewer.

 

I am a realist painter, but I do not strictly copy what I see.  I make an effort to convey a unique mood in each of my paintings.  Capturing this mood can involve any number of changes in the lighting, color, or subject matter itself.  Two of my favorite painters are Vermeer and Hopper, both of whom played with light and reality.  I will continue to focus my energy on the creative interpretation of what I see.