Whether drawing with ink, charcoal or coffee, I love to create textures and use different techniques to create depth and detail. By building darks with patterns and fine strokes the end result is more interesting and sets my work apart.
Most of my drawings capture architecture from curious perspectives or render quirky natural objects. I can be oddly amused to thwart the viewers’ sense of recognition by cropping out familiar context clues leaving only the essence.
Teaching high school art for 30 years challenged me to continuously seek and accept alternate points of view. Traveling to places like Italy, New York City and even bicycling around my own hometown keeps me curious and motivated to create. Even regularly drawing the human figure helps hone my skills of observation and to learn from fellow artists.
MC Escher, Georgia O’Keefe, Albrecht Durer, El Lissitzky, and contemporary artist Karen Gustafson have had the most impact on my concepts and process.