Series
eat, drink and
be merry
“I believe in wilderness for itself alone. I believe in the rights of creatures other than man. And I suppose I accept Nancy Newhall’s definition: Conservation is humanity caring for the future. It is the antithesis of ‘Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” -from Encounters With the Archdruid, by John McPhee, a book about American activist and environmentalist, David Brower.
Year with a tree
Change is both the subject and the medium of this series. A single tree becomes a constant against which change is measured. Each work is made on location; some over the course of days, some weeks and some months. The project takes the form of numerous watercolors and oils which investigate, in detail, a single tree at the Eagle River Nature Center from May 13, 2016 to May 13, 2017, and how the changing of the seasons affects the tree. These works are composed from observation in all types of weather so that the many changes of the environment- from sunshine to rain to snow- may have an actual effect on me (the painter), on the paintings and how they are painted, as much as on the tree itself.
the whale as a dish
In 2013, I spent seven months in the arctic, documenting and painting the subsistence whaling culture of the Inupiaq people of Utqiagvik, Alaska and providing free, community outreach art classes in various villages within the North Slope. To find out more about the community of Utqiagvik head here:
http://www.north-slope.org/our-communities/utqiagvik
This project was made possible with the support of the Barrow Arctic Science Consortium, the collaboration of the Barrow Whaling Captains Association, and of course , the people of Utqiagvik.
beekeeper series
The Beekeeper series explores different facets of the beekeeping industry from honey harvest to monoculture pollination to fighting the diseases that threaten our complex relationship with the honeybee and its very existence. Each painting deals with a unique aspect of the industry and maintains an accuracy to detail specific to the act that is taking place. Yet, the overall image resides far beyond a mere survey of an industry. Instead, a process as routine as the pollination of an almond orchard becomes a chimerical act that will question the viewers understanding of what is normal and what is abnormal of our relationship to the natural world.
nudes with fish
An early series exploring the figure and the impact of juxtaposing subjects.
