A short bio, and a note on my way of painting
I started coming to the Arnold Arboretum as soon as I moved to Jamaica Plain, a neighborhood of Boston. Then I started painting at the Arboretum while I was a student at Massachusetts College of Art, the only state-supported art school in the country. Now I also work at the Arboretum, managing children's education.
I like to say, "I walk here, I work here, I paint here."
About my paintings:
Many years ago I learned that masonite was an inexpensive and portable surface to paint on, and easy to prepare: three coats of shellac, and off you go. Now masonite panels are an indispensable part of my work. The shellacked masonite turns to a deep brown surface, and oil paint glides and slithers on this slickness. I love to watch the image takes shape as the colors are laid down thick or thin over the coffee-colored gloss. There's an inherent drama from the very beginning of the painting.