When I am working on a piece, I am driven by my reaction to the visual stimulus before me and my distillation of that reaction.
I tend to work primarily in oils and soft pastels. My landscape work, which can be highly impressionist, is mostly plein air (made out in the open air), with studio pieces that are sometimes derived from the outside studies. I then work from sketches, both pencil, marker and watercolor to give information to larger works that are more considered and deliberate. In my field studies, color can be as expressive as realistically descriptive.
When working in pastels, I am very systematic and tend to work with a high degree of finish. Although my genre is a realistic approach, I do not intend to give the impression of super-realism. At all times the artists hand must be present for me to appreciate the personal interpretation. This is what I strive for; a personal interpretation of a visual stimulus.
My hope is that the experience of viewing one of my pieces provides a commonality, a sharing of understanding and thereby a sharing of being.
Shows and Awards
COAL (Carlsbad Oceanside Arts League) Annual Show – 2nd place pastel for “Chinese Tea” 2009
RBAA Annual Show 2009– 1st place oil for “Sunset Storm”
RBAA Annual Show 2010 – 1st place mixed media for “John’s Ginger”
2nd place for a colored pencil “Tom’s Mustard”
San Diego Plein Air Painters Group Inaugural Show, Carlsbad CA – 2010
Torrey Pines “Art in the Pines 2010” inaugural plein air competition and art show, Del Mar CA
Mission Trails Regional Center Juried Show, Fine Line Artists, San Diego, CA – 2010
Solo show, Silver City, NM Library – April - May2011
Jerry’s Artarama National Pastel Show, Honorable Mention 2012
BRAI annual show, Deming NM – August 2010, August 2011, August 2012, August 2013, August 2014; two 1st place awards, one second place, two third place awards
GCAG – Open New Mexico Show, Pinos Altos NM - Placed all three years 2010, 2011, 2013
Rio Grande Gallery, SWNM plein air painters show, Las Cruces NM, July 2013
Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa CA 6inch Squared National Juried Show December 2013,2014, 2016
PAPNM Socorro plein air competition, !st Place for “Between the Showers” September 2013
Temecula Valley Plein Air Competition 2014, Temecula CA, Best of Show for “Open for Business” – Purchase Prize, now a permanent piece in the municipal collection
Chase Creek Coronado Gallery, Colors of Copper show, Clifton AZ, August 2014
Borrego Art Institute, Plein Air Exhibit, Borrego Springs, CA, August to October 2014
OPS Online Juried Show Jan – February 2014
Co-producer of BRAI 1st plein air competition and art show, October11-12th, Deming NM, 2014, 2015
OPS National Juried Associates Show, (Dallas Texas) 2015
5th Annual Plein Air Salon (International Competition)2016-2017
OPs Associates Annual Show 2016
2nd Place BRAI Regional Show Deming, NM. 2016
Judged Deming Arts Center’s first plein air exclusive show – Jan 2017
2nd Place Silver City NM inaugural plein air competition June 2017
Education:
Scholarship Study at the Worcester Museum Art School, Worcester Mass
AA, Mesa College, San Diego CA
BA, San Diego State University – Emphasis printmaking and graphic communication
MSIT National University – Art used in digital training (Masters in Science, Instructional Technology)
Workshop Instructors/Mentors:
Studied with:
David Leffel, Sally Strand, Kathleen Dunphy, Kevin McPherson, Donald Demers, Phil Starke, Ryan Wurmser, Greg LaRock, Chris Saper, Richard McKinley, Dianna Ponting, Annette Paquet,and other recognised art masters.
Affiliations:
IPAPA – International Plein Air Painting Society
PAPNM (Plein Air Painters of New Mexico)
LPAPA-Laguna Plein Air Painters
OPS (Outdoor Painters Society)
TPS (Tucson Pastel Society) Tucson AZ
Sonoran Plein Air Painters (formerly TPAPS (Tucson Plein Air Painting Society)) Tucson AZ
Black Range Artists Inc. – New Mexico (Vice-President/webmaster)
San Diego County Plein Air Painters – Associate Coordinator
Shows:
Has continually shown since 2000. Has earned numerous Best of Show, First, Second and Third place awards.
Representation:
Currently represented by River’s Edge Gallery, Kerrville Texas, and Encore, Silver City NM
