Artist's statement:
My current work started as a watercolor journal of my environment.
With my journal I capture the mood in the corner of a room or the
mystery of antique toys. It was meant to be private but has grown too
large to keep to myself.
My childhood was spent with a family appreciative of the beauties in
life. We would stop what we were doing to watch the rising moon and
look through art books of the Renaissance as if they were children’s
books. Drawing beautiful things brings a joy and calmness to counter
the outside distresses of wars and environmental issues that I can’t
control.
Each piece is mixed media of ink and watercolor. First I draw a
pencil sketch then go over that with India ink and finish with layers
of watercolor as if I were creating an oil painting. By using a
painterly rather than a photorealistic style I still include every
nuance in my view to portray the atmosphere I’m seeing.
Focusing on detail is a way for me to catch the intimacy of the
scene. When I study the details of something it is a way of getting
to know it thoroughly, and the act becomes a meditation. The rooms
devoid of people can feel serene, a retreat from the hectic world,
and at the same time express a deep sense of inner aloneness. The
toys that come into some of the pictures are an amusement to me but
also can portray the sinisterness of a painted-on smile covering up a
soulless being, or a being unable to express itself.
