Hi, and welcome to my basement home studio. I never paint in this space. I’m only painting here since I’m sheltering in place. I usually paint in a studio space I share with seven other artists. I thrive in that creative environment where we cross-pollinate ideas, information, and companionship. It’s highly motivating for me. But I’m very comfortable here and fortunate to have this space. I’m usually much messier, but I haven’t had enough time to really destroy the place.
On the wall are some of the paintings going into the Choice Show. This one, Bayside Bunch, is my Artist’s Choice. I’m pleased with the simplification or abstraction of the figures. I really have fun painting crowds of people on the beach. I join in on a family Ogunquit vacation every summer, and that is where I get most of my subject matter. The beaches are always so crazy busy with splashes of color everywhere, and I so connect with the noisy vibration and overstimulation of it all.
But in regards to painting, I usually start with a small study, like this 8×8, and if I’m lucky enough to succeed with that, I paint a larger version. I generally don’t run into any trouble until my second brushstroke, then the struggle begins. I set a high standard for myself, and I’m always trying to reach that, always striving to be the best painter I can be. I can be hard on myself.
I often start on a black ground like this one currently in progress on my easel. I love it when the background peeks through in the end. It creates unity.
I’m referred to as a colorist. The world is a colorful place, so why not play with that.