Artist Statement

 

Something inward drives me to search for stories, to study people, to stimulate the creative senses as an artist.
I’m compelled to express this in an outward voice of paint and canvas.
 
My subjects are real people, and we share a genuine connection.  
That's what gives my paintings life.

Inspiration flows as I discover what makes each person unique and interesting.

My eyes might catch a ray of light, or my ears hear a sound…
 Such as the sound of rushing wind intermingling with drumbeat and voice,
as the beloved grandnephew of Chief Plenty Coups sang his prayer in the Pryor mountains...
I was there. We shared the spirit of the moment.  I had to paint him.
 
Everyone has a story that needs to be told. 
Maybe the person is unable to tell it on their own.  Maybe I can help them tell it.
 
Like my friend, the fiddler, whose hands have slowed their pace over time,
though music still dances and sings in his heart.
I painted the twinkle in his eyes as he shared his songs with me, his favorite fiddle resting on his knee.

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My greatest joy comes when the completed painting connects the viewer and subject on an emotional level.
Heart to heart, as a kindred spirit; an unspoken understanding, a hint of smile, a wipe of tear, or a memory evoked.
 
I believe my desire to paint is God-given, and hope to capture in my paintings a sense of our Creator's love and compassion for people. 

And I continue to celebrate the beauty of the human spirit in my art.