Do you ever venture out of your creative process to try new things?

I am always venturing out of my creative process to find new ideas from color to composition. I believe the artist has a spiritual side and ideas will come if one is available to listen. Many times we as artists are tempted to think, I am happy where I am at, and it is easy to stop asking questions about our creative process. When the artistic mind is available to be nurtured and tuned in these artistic voices then ideas will arrive and can become reality. To the greater degree we as artists live in a make-believe creative realm. Our ability to grab these previously nonexistent ideas and turn them into a physical reality is our charm and our unique voice in this world.

What current trends are you following and why?

I do love being part of the explosion of contemporary realism that has taken place in the last 20 years. I use current trends such as the Munsell color classification system and in depth color studies to improve my artwork. Recently I have been hauling my home made color charts around with me everywhere, from backpacking to museum visits. I use them to analyze color and quiz myself by asking, “What color is that?” then evaluating what the color actually is. This is where I learn the most about color. It has been monumental in developing my artistic eye.

What was your breakthrough artwork?

The most memorable breakthrough artwork thus far has been my painting, Beholden to None. When I finished this painting and realized that I had successfully painted a figure using a cool color palette with a pop of warm color on the hand, it was a breakthrough moment for me. It gave me the confidence to paint figures out of doors, something I had always aspired to do. I find a painting that skillfully combines figurative or portraiture in a landscape setting is really beautiful.

What was the best advice you ever received?

The best artistic advice I ever received was to view color with absolute objectivity. Painting is by nature an emotional process and too many times we make color choices based on what skin tone is “supposed” to look like or what colors you “should” mix to make the “perfect” skin tone By emotionally distancing myself from the allure of certain colors and instead analyzing what the colors actually are, I learned to be more productive and accurate with my painting results. I think using color analysis in such a fashion is the future of figurative and landscape realism.

What are you currently working on?

The human experience has been something I have enjoyed portraying, especially the relationship between humans and the environment around us. Currently I am designing and composing larger multi-figurative paintings addressing the role of belief systems in our lives from politics to religion, and how these beliefs directly affect what one group perceives as correct but others may see as incorrect. It is an intriguing dichotomy to say the least. Recently, to best be able to demonstrate this phenomenon I have spent innumerable hours in museums studying Rembrandt, Titian and other master artists to better understand how they used color and light to create figure hierarchies which will guide the viewer's eyes. This exploration of composition and color dynamics to create a painting about the human condition is currently my most interesting artistic endeavor.