Artist Highlight

I love to travel, to see new things and experience life from a different perspective. When a beautiful scene catches my eye, I yearn to capture it in a way that reminds me of how it felt to be there. I want to explore what is interesting about the architecture, the landscape, and the activity on the street. In my paintings I hope to express the sense of all these elements coming together into one compelling moment.

My work often includes figures because they bring the scene to life, and they are an opportunity to include spots of bright color. When I paint people, I’m sensitive to posture and movement, which makes us imagine what they’re feeling and what they’ll do next.

Before I start, I always do a quick value sketch. This helps me to balance the composition in terms of light and dark, and large and small shapes. I especially like the strong forms that are a result of scenes with bright sunlight and deep shadows. They create a dramatic value pattern and a sense of warmth and happiness.

I usually work from my photos, although this year I dusted off my plein-air easel and have been rediscovering the joys of painting from life. I typically paint in oil, but I have recently taken up gouache for smaller paintings.

One of the things that I love about being an artist that it’s continually fascinating and challenging. There’s always more to learn!