Color Fields: Northeastern Horizons

This body of work is a visual love letter to the beauty and harshness of the northeastern landscape. In particular, to the fields of Aroostook County, Maine. The process of making these paintings starts with a very slow practice of observing the light touching the land and waiting for a convergence of light and place that simply feels right. Then I photograph this convergence and pick out images that will translate well into paintings. These paintings are all made with acrylic paints and built slowly in transparent and opaque layers on wood panels. This is a time-consuming process, as each layer has to fully dry before applying the next layer. Because of this, I generally work on multiple paintings simultaneously. Once I am satisfied they they are complete, the paintings receive two coats of satin varnish, which gives them an even sheen and optically brightens the colors a little bit. As a multi-media artist, I’ve noticed that each type of media has a different psychological process. The way I paint is tactile, slow, sometimes sensual and always requires patience and skill. It is a process that brings the outdoors into my studio and it requires a lifetime of well-honed discipline to complete each work. This process can be a therapeutic at times — especially when the doing of the painting results in a flow state, which is a result that I highly value. The end result of each finished painting is an act of love for a complicated and beautiful place that is generally under-valued and whose natural beauty is often under-appreciated.