Welcome

When I’m drawing or painting in the studio, I’m usually working on portraits or art commissions. From the time I was an art student, though, finishing my inside work to paint “en plein air” (as the French call painting outdoors) has been a priority.

Plein air painting requires a willingness to paint in a variety of conditions, including wind, rain, snow, pollen, dust, smoke, noise, insects, animals, heat, cold, thieves, kibitzers, and the inevitable fact that I’ll have forgotten something.

Even with such challenges, en plein air painting rewards the willing artist. For me, the play of light --- whether on water, grass, trees, earth, sky, or man-made objects --- is the only reason I need to grab my painting gear and head outdoors.

Fortunately, subjects for nautical art, seascapes, landscapes, and rural paintings dot the countryside near coastal and inland waters, mountains, and farmlands of the United States. Oceans, lakes, streams, creeks, rivers, plus dizzying assortments of shacks, sheds, barns, houses, boats, farm implements, equipment, and vehicles lie within easy driving distance of many major cities.

Also, relics of our rural past exist where rivers served as highways from farms to markets, no matter whether the markets were inland or near the sea. Often I find work boats and farm equipment within a few miles of each other and can complete a seascape in the morning, have local seafood for lunch, and paint a rural landscape in the afternoon.

When I spot a dairy farmer’s milking barn sitting in a field full of condominiums instead of cows, I see tantalizing possibilities for paintings. Show me a few aging work boats snuggled up to a ragged pier beside a high-rise apartment, and I come to full attention. Each relic invites me to explore and paint it before moving on.

However, when I’m working outdoors, I’m at the mercy of natural light, the elements, and the passage of time. Light changes, conditions change, and a shortage of time means that I’m sometimes painting the subject from memory. Painting every detail isn’t an option, either, since details take time. I paint my impressions as quickly as possible using light, shadow, color, shape, and form, with emphasis on how light affects the subject. Most of the time, I draw with a brush, painting directly on the paper (or canvas when I’m working with oils) without making a pencil drawing first.

Drawing is essential to artistic expression, so when I’m not painting, I draw as often as possible using whatever makes a mark. I take a sketchbook, a watercolor kit, and pens or pencils wherever I go. One of my mentors always said, “drawing improves your ability to see, and seeing improves your drawing abilities.” Too often, I did my “seeing” with my camera, instead of drawing. Now, I leave the camera in the bag and draw potential subjects when time permits. However, if time is short, I use the camera to capture details or other elements for later reference in the studio.

When I capture the glow of a sunrise, a fog shrouded boat, reflections off a breaking wave, light and shadow in the furrows of a freshly plowed field, or the colors and shapes in a barn’s interior I experience joy for a long time after completing a painting. Every en plein air outing is an expedition, not only to paint, but to discover the unique characteristics that give subjects their “soul”. To me, nautical and rural subjects possess abundant soul and I believe these paintings reflect it.

I hope you enjoy looking at these samples of my work as much as I enjoyed painting them. If you do, please consider collecting my art. For information about availability of other fine art pieces and pricing, please .