My figurative drawings evolved over a period of many years of studying classical figure drawing. After using only pencil, ink and charcoal, I discovered color through the use of pastels. The human figure that I had drawn thousands of times in the studio suddenly evolved into abstract drawings of figures layered upon each other. I love line, gestural rhythmic movement and the lyrical feeling that emerges for me in this process. The style reflects a melding of classical drawing along with “de Kooning like” influences of color, shape and movement.

Recently, inspired by my travels through Europe and Asia, I have turned to the canvas to create a vision of color, depth and shape and line in form of an “Arboretum”. After visiting many museums, walking through landscapes and viewing Thomas Struth’s massive photographs of forest called “Paradise”, I created a series of paintings which I titled “Inside”. My intention is to place the viewer “inside” the landscape rather than viewing it from the outside looking in. The same elements of shape, movement, line and color are now incorporated in both my figurative pastels as well as my landscape paintings.