Booth 915
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About the Artist
In 2011, I painted 100 Faces in 100 Days – of anyone who would volunteer to come to my studio and share their lives. We talked and laughed; they moved; emotions and expressions ran the gamut. No posing allowed and in that casual, relaxed setting, I witnessed the real “them.” The "why" behind the project was a genuine curiosity about people - a wish to understand them and to know more while also doing exactly what I love best - painting with my interesting subject right in front of me. It was extraordinarily difficult to actually capture a moving, talking face -not a skill you'll ever learn in a class - but a challenge I overcame because otherwise all these different people, all ages, would never agree to sit and reveal themselves. (You can see each of my 100 faces -- and read about our time together/what we learned on my website with excerpts from my daily blog.)
That project grew legs. So, if I could capture one moving person, how about a whole flock of them? I moved from the studio to painting on location, en plein air, setting up my easel in urban spots - indoors or out, where people gathered. Those spots would be close to home, or at plein air events/competitions (I have often been chosen as one of the lucky 30 or so painters from around the country to capture a place for a week in top events), or in personal painting trips taken in the US and Europe to explore, discover, observe, paint. No matter where I am, it is the inhabitants and their relationships that matter most, that become the subject of that day's painting.
I don't always paint on location but doing so from life so often and constant observation informs all my work, no matter where it takes shape. My paintings are observations and lessons from life. My plan is to wander, discover, and take notes through my paintbrush and oil colors. I'm drawn to color and vibrancy but take notice of what's quieter, more solemn, and wonder what lies beneath the surface. By not orchestrating everything, by not using models, I get the chance to deliver something truer. Exploring new venues, cultures, and challenges is one way I keep my eyes open, observations fresh, and my creative self energized. It's not just the new place, it's the people I meet, and the way they connect with each other and spend the best of their days. Paintings are a motion picture condensed into a single frame but worth a closer and closer look – a memory to be unfolded in front of both of us. See the air, and the light, and watch the subject come to life. I paint with my head and heart … all in, quickly, confidently, passionately, joyfully. Lives and works in Fairfax, VA.
