Artist StatementI've been working in pastel full-time for the last twenty-nine years and have been teaching workshops for the past fifteen. My artistic influences range from Paleolithic art up to Alfred Sisley, Maxfield Parrish, Juan Gris, and Gustav Klimt. I am singularly fortunate enough to travel to and paint in such wonderful places as Telluride, Paris, Rome, and Moab. I go out and look to capture that one unique and spectacular moment of life, whether in the mountains, in an urban setting, I might be slogging through a deluge, snowshoeing in -10°F, or painting plein air in 101°F. In spite of all those obstacles, I get to distill it all down to that essential instance of striking allure and there you have it. I pride myself in painting something that anyone can see themselves if they hang around: no exaggerations, no symbolism, and no implied metaphor.