Artist's Statement
Impressionist to Expressionist
My current work focuses on my lifelong love for the beach. I am exploring the light, colors, organic rhythms and natural forms found along the Eastern Coast. I use the palette knife to express the wild beauty of the Jersey Shore, Cape Ann, Cape Cod, and the coast of Maine.
I have two rather distinct bodies of work. One is in the style of the Impressionists. As a Bucks County Artist, I am inspired by the New Hope School of the Pennsylvania Impressionists; their colorful and lively, expressive brushstrokes. Fern Coppedge especially was most creative in her use of color and strong design in her compositions. I am especially fond of the light, colors and seascapes of the Jersey Shore, Cape Cod, Cape Ann and coastal Maine.
I am equally inspired by the Abstract Expressionists and their technique of action painting with the subject matter coming intuitively and spontaneously from within. Joan Mitchell, Lee Krasner, and Wassily Kandinsky's vibrant and spirited paintings are a strong influence on my work.
As a Painter, I do not believe in limits or in limiting myself or my work. For me, painting is about being free. I paint what moves me, what reaches out to grab me or reaches out from within to be seen. Some of my current paintings arise completely from within, a figment of my imagination, an illustration of a thought or emotion, an instinct allowed to surface. My coastal series includes many paintings inspired by real places, but completely created from my own feelings and memories. My journey through abstract expressionism has found a home in the patterns of the wild dunes, colorful marshes, rocky coasts and stormy seas.
For me, it is the journey and the joy in creating a work of art that truly inspires.