Artist Statement
I paint the interaction between nature and humanity. Nature fills us with awe, replenishes our spirits, and gives us joy and peace. Time spent in wilderness has been found to lower blood pressure and improve mental health. We are even reconciled to our own mortality and comforted by the natural life cycles we see around us. These reactions to natural beauty can happen on a grand scale, such as when we come upon a sweeping vista that fills us with awareness of a power greater than ourselves, reminding us of our our tiny place in a huge cosmos. But awe and wonder also happen in everyday moments, when our attention is caught by glimpses of beauty on a smaller, more intimate scale.
I paint these subjects because I spend my life trying to work out the tension between what humanity’s effect on the world has become, compared to what it could be. I am a person of faith and I believe humans are asked to be good stewards of the Earth. We are supposed to be the gardeners, but so often, we are the destroyers. We say we appreciate the natural beauty around us, but we don’t always accept our responsibility to care for it, and thereby care for each other. I want to express humanity’s potential to be part of the part of the natural goodness of this world. However, I also need to I express my belief that it is our duty to work to protect nature and each other. Today, as we face threats such as climate change, gun violence and rising nationalism, art provides an arena in which to share our worries and hopes. I hope my art will start a conversation or two about our role in all this.