The Excitement of Watercolor

I was educated at Kendall College of Art and the Art Institute Of Chicago. After an enlistment in the Navy, I worked as a free lance graphic designer and illustrator for thirty years. Since retirement in 2003, I've been painting landscapes, still lifes, portraits and figurative work, mostly in watercolor. I presently paint and exhibit in West Michigan.

I love art that is loose and spontaneous. I always start by painting directly from life without much preliminary thinking. The only prep work is a rough pencil sketch done directly onto my watercolor paper which I don't erase. If possible, I'd rather not know what the subject matter of my painting is going to be until I actually begin the painting. This way, the excitement is fresh which translates into pure creative energy. Also, I've learned to embrace the concept of risk, always working slightly out of control, pushing and stretching to make something new happen with each painting.