Artist Statement
When I majored in art at Douglass College I concentrated on graphics. I used only black ink for my etchings, aquatints, and lithographs. Because my early work was monochromatic, I have now come to appreciate the creative potential of working in color. My line drawings tend to be informational and timeless--color allows me to express a specific time and place. I love exploring the influence of light and shadow on color. For me, a favorite detail in my work might be a small glowing triangle of color or a shadow created by the sun on a perfect day. My goal is to recreate both the look and the feel of a place.
I generally choose my subject matter from my travels in Europe and New England. In the past few years I have also turned my attention to New Jersey and the towns of Westfield, Cranford and Summit. I enjoy focusing on landscapes, cityscapes, and architectural details. Late in 2008 I started doing imaginary botanicals which come directly from my mind and my personal impression of the real thing.
I began painting in oils, but recently my medium of choice has been watercolored pen and inks. The immediacy of this approach has helped me to combine my love for intricate detail with a freer more gestual feeling. I work from my pen and ink sketches or the digital images I have taken with my camera. Since detail is important to me I work at the computer so I can enlarge my photos. My concentration in etchings and lithography has prepared me well for my work with pen and ink. Both these media require that you draw directly on a metal plate or stone, so I am very comfortable sketching in ink. I prefer to sketch in ink because I like the the fact that each line is permanent--influencing each succeeding line and the final outcome. The addition of watercolors adds interest, depth and dimension.
