I am finally at the point in my art career where creativity and expressiveness is more important to me than my ability to represent things correctly. What I am working on must come from my desire to say something or to react to something and not just be something. My concern is to let my inner creative voice come out on the paper and to not be concerned whether what I am doing is following the pack of accepted traditional painters. I want to tell a story, express a mood or reaction, or expand the boundaries of my creative efforts. Today I paint, teach, and study art and all of these efforts make my work more expansive and personally expressive. I began my painting with Skip Lawrence in his Laurel, Md. studio in the mid 1970’s and I am fortunate that he was my first and really only teacher. He stressed creativity, color, design, shape making and the need for the artist to be an individual and to tell their own story. He also introduced me to the world of great artists and wonderful watercolor painters. Although at the time I really had no recognizable talent as a painter he lit a fire in me and for that I am eternally grateful to him.

Now some thirty years later, I too absolutely believe in and promote the ideas that were instilled in me during my three years with Skip. I have studied and continue to study the work and lives of the great artists learning about their lives, philosophies, aspirations and failures. I have included on this site a list of books I have read or am reading for you to look into. It is always a wonderful revelation to see where some of these painters started and to follow their transformation from beginner artist to creative master. This intimate understanding of the artists gives me the confidence to try more expressive things in my own art and to not concern myself with the attitudes and criticisms of fellow artists who are afraid of new directions in painting. I believe that by using everything I know and by reaching outside my comfort level I have the possibility of painting a great painting. I know this hasn’t happened yet and won’t happen ever if I am afraid to make a personal statement in my art. Art is not just about safety, sales, number of students, and awards won, it is about creative expression and personal vision combined with the trained eye and hand. I am still in the process of becoming an artist and I am continuously fighting to lose my fear of putting myself in the painting and my fear of the rejection of my ideas. I am striving to paint my own art and I am struggling with finding and using my own creative voice.