Artist’s Statement

The creative urge has been a constant companion for as far back as I can remember. My mother was an artist, and being around her creative space and watching her paint in our home are some of my fondest childhood memories. With her encouragement, I took up the art tools and materials of childhood. The opportunity to emulate her activities using these media was a joy of my childhood. I graduated to “real” artists’ materials – oils, acrylics, fire clay and photography – as a teenager, which increased the gratification of my work.

My fascination with the figure began as I perused my mother’s innumerable art books and marveled at myriad depictions of the figure in art through the ages. As I’ve matured as an artist, I’ve painted, drawn, sculpted, and photographed the female figure, which continues to fuel my creative drive. I have never seen anything that inspires me more than the vessel in which we find ourselves experiencing our conscious existence. As a surgical technician in the Air Force, I observed the human body intimately in all shapes, sizes and conditions, further demystifying the figure. My viewpoint on depicting nudity is neither heavily erotic nor safely modest. Many of my subjects are aware of the viewer, which removes the comfortable voyeur space for the viewer. In these instances, being confronted with the physicality of the model hopefully causes them to explore their attitude toward the human body in life, as well as its depictions in art.

Over time my inspirations developed and diversified. After I became a grandfather I frequently lay awake at night, distressed at the world we are leaving the upcoming generations. The Legacy series developed from these musings and began with the theme of Gun Control, as there had already been 847 gun deaths from January 1 to January 27, 2016. Since I have two granddaughters, my concerns Have turned naturally to Women’s Issues. Besides the Legacy pieces on Women’s Issues, it generated the Legacy Series offshoot, Objectification, about women’s body image, as it’s affected by societal attitudes, entertainment, and the press.

These have been my lifetime inspirations. They are currently depicted in the many pieces of art I am presenting to you. Hopefully you’ll see a reflection of your inspiration in them

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