WHEN I AM PAINTING SKIES, I FEEL FREE.  FREE TO TRUST THE PROCESS, FREE FROM WORRY ABOUT HOW IT WILL ALL TURN OUT AND FREE TO LET THE PRESSURES OF LIFE SLIP AWAY.  MAY THIS VERY FEELING TRANSLATE TO THE VIEWER. WHEN MY ART FINDS A NEW HOME, I HOPE THAT IT IS BECAUSE THE COLLECTOR KNOWS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO HAVE MONTANA WOVEN INTO THEIR HEARTS.

BEING BORN AND RAISED IN THE GALLATIN VALLEY, THE LANDSCAPE IS ENMESHED IN MY SOUL AND THE BEAUTY AND GRANDEUR OF THE EVOCATIVE SKIES BEG TO BE CAPTURED BY MY BRUSH.  WITH OIL PAINT, I LAY DOWN COLOR ON THE CANVAS IN HOPES OF CREATING A TANGIBLE MONTANA MEMORY - A SENSE OF PLACE, PEACE, AND REFLECTION - TO IMPRINT A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THAT MOMENT BEFORE IT SLIPS AWAY. I SEEK TO REPRESENT THE EMOTION OF LIGHT AND COLOR IN THE SKY AND CAST SHADOW ON THE LAND.  THE FAVORED LIGHT OF EARLY MORNING, LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HAVE A WAY OF DRAWING MY AWARENESS AND FROM THOSE MOMENTS MY BEST ART IS INSPIRED.

I CHOOSE OIL PAINT FOR IT’S LUXURIOUS TEXTURE, VIBRANCY OF COLOR AND DURABLE NATURE.  I LOVE THE HISTORICAL LONGEVITY OF THE MEDIUM AND THAT ARTISTS FOR CENTURIES HAVE CREATED WITH PIGMENTS THAT ARE STILL IN USE TODAY.  I PREFER THAT THE TEXTURE OF THE CANVAS IS VISIBLE AS IT REMINDS ME OF THE GENERATIONS THAT HAVE LIVED IN THIS VALLEY AND THAT THEY HAVE CREATED THE CLOTH OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND CULTURE.  MY EYES ARE ALWAYS SCANNING FOR DRAMATIC LIGHT, CLOUDS THAT STOP ME IN MY TRACKS AND LAND THAT IS WIDE OPEN.  I AM NEVER WITHOUT A CAMERA AND OFTEN DO MUCH OF MY COMPOSITIONAL THOUGHT PROCESS AND BUILDING OF THE COLOR STORY FOR EACH PAINTING IN THE FIELD.  MANY FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS AND COLLECTORS OF MY ART HAVE SENT ME PHOTOGRAPHS OF AMAZING BEAUTY IN THE SKIES THEY HAVE WITNESSED.  THIS IS UTIMATELY ONE OF MY GREATEST ARTISTIC JOYS – THAT OTHERS ARE OBSERVING THEIR LANDSCAPE AND PERHAPS, THAT IS MORE SO BECAUSE OF MY ART. 

MY ART GROWS OUT OF THE WIDE, OPEN SPACES, AND THE FARMLAND UNDISTURBED UNLESS IN PREPARATION FOR OR HARVEST.  I RESPECT THE EFFORTS OF MANY TO PROTECT, NUTURE AND COMMUNICATE THE IMPORTANCE OUR LAND.  I HAVE FAMILY WHO STILL WORK THE LAND OF THIS VALLEY AND I ADMIRE THEIR EFFORTS TO CARE FOR AND NUTURE IT – THERE IS DEEP VALUE IN THIS COMMITMENT.  MY WORK HAS BEEN SHAPED BY OTHER ARTISTS WHOSE ABILITY TO TRANSLATE COLOR AND TEXTURE ARE AWE INSPIRING.  THE RESEARCH PROCESS FOR ME, IS ONE OF WAITING AND VISITING OFTEN SO AS NOT TO MISS AN OPPORTUNITY.  IT IS MY HOPE THAT MY ART WILL MOVE ITS VIEWERS TO PAUSE, REFLECT AND SEEK MOMENTS OF OBSERVATION IN THEIR SURROUNDINGS. 

THERE IS A PUSH AND PULL AS I WORK THROUGH EACH PAINTING, BOTH ON THE CANVAS AND INTERNALLY.  EACH PAINTING GIFTS ME SOMETHING IN RETURN: WHETHER IT BE ARTISTIC GROWTH IN EXPRESSING LIGHT, TEXTURE AND SPACIAL DEPTH; REVELATION OF UNDERSTANDING THE LAND AND SKY IN A NEW WAY; OR SIMPLY THE JOY IT BRINGS OTHERS WHEN THEY VIEW IT IN PERSON. WHEN I APPROACH THE CANVAS, I EXPECT AN ACCURATE TRANSLATION OF LIGHT AND DEPTH, OF EMOTIONAL RESPONSE AND A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR CREATION AND ITS CREATOR.