Statement of Intent
A man lives two days with each one. The first is of the body. Here, man explores his world through his senses. The second day is of the mind, where man turns physical experience to spiritual understanding and growth. My paintings attempt the whole day- the concrete and the abstract.
I am an New England artist. Important to me is our history of painters whose lives and work are inseparable. As a fisherman, sailor, and self taught naturalist, I am involved in the changes of season, time and weather- and the resulting activities of man and nature in coastal New England. How can an artist not live what he paints? If he does not, his work contains no life.
I am also a representational painter. For me, this tie to the real is not a crutch. Any successful painting must have an abstract strength: a clear understanding of composition, form, color and the many other tools of design. In addition, though, representational painting explores the concrete, the world underfoot. Understanding this world is complex. Stare at a small area of shoreline and consider the materials, textures, colors, shapes, and patterns. Then consider such effects as light, time, season, weather, and what you were thinking about as you stood there. The impression changes. What is the constant?
The constant is the whole day, a combination of the abstract and the concrete. This is what I attempt to paint.