Since 1983, 26 years ago, I started down a seldom walked career path...that of a studio fine artist. I had no mentor, no real support, instead just a dream and an inclination that this is what I should do. Like all of us, each of our paths are unique and only in hindsight do we realize that things truly happen for a reason. It is through a determined faith that our journey continues all a part of God’s Great, Grand Design!

“Somehow through God’s great grand de-sign, we all sort out and pursue our lives. How impossible this would be without the creative process of art. And through it all, as the great symphony of life unfolds…. I find there is no life without this expressive freedom.” TW

During 2009, for this anniversary show, I have been focusing all of my artistic effects back to watercolor painting. Certain themes continue, sometimes returning to an old idea. In return then, new ideas of consequence emerge. This “creative thinking process” is at best, chaotic. I describe it as a mental kaleidoscope of evolving ideas and imagery! It is then up to the artist to overcome all fear…..and pluck an idea out, and run with it!

With my painting, I love to stir things up and step out of my comfort zone, constantly painting totally different subjects, such as the Rocky Mountain landscapes to Gulf Coast. I enjoy realism as well as modern-ism, so at times, I will explore and pursue more conceptual ideas and allow myself to get beyond how a subject is “expected” to look like. Such as this series of oak trees.

EXPRESSIVE REALISM

As an artist, I attempt to get beyond a subject and how it is supposed or expected to look and explore being more “expressive” by exaggerating colors and shapes to create more emotion and visual impact. I believe this is when the artistic experience truly emerges! It’s just not enough to complete a highly skilled, technical rendering of a subject that is easy to recognize and enjoy...there must be something more.

With this in mind, I’m aware that each painting is a visual story of my life’s journey. My blue tile series of paintings like, “Onion Cousins,” with onions evolving directly out of my first experience installing this blue tile in my remodeled kitchen at home. I love it’s simplicity, re-lying on fundamental primary colors of blue, red, and yellow… along with the contrasting shapes of the geometric tile and organic round shapes of the onions all make for a very interesting painting.

A lady once commented to me that she thought the painting was done so well it makes her cry! This, like all my paintings evolve as they should from my own life experiences.

IT’S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS

Often I visit our National parks, such as Arches NP to paint dramatic landscapes. Recently this September, I was hiking for three days up to tree line at Rocky Mountain National Park. With camera in hand, taking hundreds of photos of the stunning mountain lakes and aspen vistas, as certainly soon new paintings will emerge, such as “Aspen Orchestra” as aspens are a favorite subject. But uniquely what also emerged from this brief retreat to the mountains was something so small and perfect.

JOURNEY OF SHAPES AND COLORS

I suppose tying together all my unfocused work over the years is my effort to understand and interpret color. I do love vivid color. I enjoy the challenge of utilizing contrasting “warm and cool” colors and understanding this relationship. When you really “boil” down what art is, it’s about relation-ships! Such as the relationships of contrasting colors and interesting shapes. A painting, just as in life, is successful depending on how well these relation-ships turn out.

I think the watercolor, “The Journey” really sums this all up, as it is based on my own experience exploring the Anasazi Ruins of Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Canyon, NM. This painting and the PASSAGEWAY SERIES is all about “life's journey!” It illustrates the different stages we go through in life and just as I felt in Chaco, standing there, I knew I too was a part of some great journey. Artistically, I tried to capture this very simple thought.. The painting is a wonderful journey of shapes and colors, as we move through different stages all a part of life's journey!