My Art

I went through the graphic design program at SFCC from 1977 to 1980. On graduation I was hired as a staff artist in the art department at American Sign & Indicator, and was employed there for ten years. There, I worked with a very talented cadre of artists, some of whom have continued to pursue fine arts, and still inspire and encourage me.

I worked in the sign industry as a designer for 44 years, retiring in January 2024. It was exciting to have time to paint again, and set up a home studio. My art is now a part of my life, like breathing or eating.

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I had painted actively in my 20s and 30s, but it tapered off with the demands of career and family. In this past life, my paintings were tightly rendered and photorealistic. The advent of hand tremors over the last few decades meant that I would not be able to return to that style. I jokingly call my home studio the “Shaky Hands Studio.” Rather than working against my creative development, it has forced me to loosen up. I still do some realistic representational landscapes, but I really enjoy just letting the brush dance, and seeing where the colors take me.

My primary subject matter is our local landscape, the colors and shapes of the Inland Northwest. I work mostly in oils, but have also worked in egg tempera, watercolor, and pastel. My major influence is the art of Mark Rothko and Richard Diebenkorn.