The Power of Stillness
Sonoma County Landscapes in Pastel
I paint Nature. Being present to Nature’s healing influence is the guiding principle of my art and life. I want to reconnect people to the richness and beauty that abounds within and around us. As essential as food, air, and water, creative activity sustains me. The first half of my life was music: the second half, visual art.
I intend to invoke a contemplative presence, freeing the contracted, reactive mind into wakefulness and clarity that are ever-present in the natural world (and in us). Nature conveys immensity, power, great mystery, and reconnection with our true spiritual Nature.
I gather field references and paint in the studio. Composition provides the structure of the image. I savor the rich exchange that arises between painting and the artist. Each painting is a fresh start, a leap into the unknown.
The most important factor is the quality of the light. Pastel, with its multiple layering techniques, is the ideal medium for capturing this. Atmospheric light permeates the scene, conveying a sense of feeling, emotion, and mystery.
I began formal art training in 1970 at Illinois State University, specializing in painting, figurative work, and printmaking. I pioneered innovative techniques in the intaglio process: “Color Viscosity,” which combines radical etching with multiple layers of ink, akin to the pastel medium.
I have worked in the healing arts for 45 years as a Neuromuscular, Fascial, and Craniosacral therapist. The goal is to restore balance to the human body via the muscular, fascial, and nervous systems.
These two activities-the creative and healing arts-share the power and transmission of human touch. My mark-making is very literal and tactile. I must feel the pastel stick pass over the sanded paper. A paintbrush is too much technology and muddies the connection.