North 40: In my Element is a show of personal significance that started almost 2 years ago and completed in the isolation of Covid-19.  North 40 is nostalgic, depicting subjects and environments that have personal significance to me.  My hope is that it resonates with those having rural roots and an appreciation for back-roads America.  It is a glimpse into my world, both real and imagined. 

Though 40 of my years have been based in rural Wisconsin, my work is also Influenced by extensive travel in the United States, Spain, Italy, France, Mexico, Australia, etc.  My work has been described as narrative.  I have a background in illustration and enjoy the challenge of visual communication.  My paintings often invite the viewer to enter a scene and share a fleeting moment in time.   I define my work as realist expressionism.    It is predominantly subject-based, but to me, the use of color, the inclusion of texture, and application of paint has equal importance to the subjects themselves.  The subject is the vehicle for the painting process.  I try to give the viewer enough information to connect with the scene but encourage them to finish the story themselves.  I am not interested in replicating, rather, responding.

 I generally create in series, exploring several ideas generated by a particular subject or setting.  I typically work on several pieces at a time, slowly building layers of color and texture while developing areas of predominant focus.  I tend to work intuitively, so a painting may change dramatically from conception to completion.  Sometimes only fragments of the original thought remains.  I don’t constrict its growth, rather allow it to grow and change during development.  

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