Artist Statement:
The ideas for my paintings come from my imagination, and are often of memories, and places that I have been and seen, here in the rural Midwestern Heartland. I paint my landscapes simply, from my heart, where in my paintings I want to capture the feeling of peaceful, quiet, isolation, found out in the country.
I have always had a fascination with old farmsteads, especially the old farmhouses and barns found on them. Some of my fondest childhood memories and inspiration, are of the visits to my grandparent's remote Midwestern farm. Set down a very long lane, that eventually wound around the old barn, horse pasture, granary, corn crib, machine shed, chicken house, to then end up at their old farmhouse, with its white picket fence in the yard beyond. The croquet set would be on the lawn and Grandma would have one of her homemade pies waiting on the kitchen counter. A little bit of heaven here on earth, it felt to me way back then!
My painting style leans towards Realism, although I often use elements of Tonalism and Minimalism in them. I have been inspired by the Tonalists, Hudson River School Artists, Minimalists, and Realist artists for my art. I work mainly in acrylic paint on stretched canvas, for my Heartland landscapes. I paint with a process of building up many layers, using both wet and dry brush techniques, for my paintings. My art work has been described as having an intriguing peacefulness, in its quiet simplicity.
Education:
Bachelor of Fine Art, with an emphasis in Illustration, from NIU
Awards & Distinctions:
Two of my paintings were hung in the THIS OLD HOUSE Magazine Show house, "Cloudland Cottage" for the fall of 2015 at Lookout Mountain, Georgia. They can be found in the article about the house, and artists work hanging there, in the Nov.- Dec. 2015 magazine.
Exhibitions:
Regional Juried Exhibition IX, Freeport Art Museum, Freeport, IL 2013-2014
Peaceable Kingdom: Animals, Real and Imagined Art Exhibition, Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek Ca, 2013.
Annual Juried Exhibit, Bridgeport Arts Center Gallery, Chicago, IL, 2013
Regional Juried Exhibition IX, Freeport Art Museum, Freeport, IL 2012-2013
26th International Exhibition on Animals in Art, Baton Rogue, LA 2013
Annual International Small Works Show at Emerald Gallery, Fairfield, IA,
The Modern Landscape, Springfield Art Association, Springfield, IL
Agriculture in Art, New Visions Gallery, Marshfield, WI.
Artistic Influences:
Tonalism, Hudson River School Artists, Minimalism, and Realism.
Artist Tags:
barn, farm, landscape, farmhouse, painting, country
