About Me

Born, raised, and educated in Maine and lucky enough to have traveled extensively; my love of color is a major motivation for my art making. The relationships between colors often inform the direction I take in my paintings, leading me to unexpected results. I paint with both oil and acrylic paints on smooth panel or wood. Painting is not only a visual experience for me but also a very tactile one. I choose my surfaces for the way the paint feels moving over it.

I take my inspiration from the world around me. I paint objects, people, and places which catch my eye and my imagination. I have been inspired by too many artists to name them all but a few of the most powerful influences so far have been: Hans Hoffman for his masterful use of color; Henri Matisse for his colors as well as the innate playfulness to his work; Paul Cumes for his dedication to the act of painting; Claude Coquil for his awe inspiring use of color in portraiture; and Alice Neel for her drive always to be herself and to paint for herself.

Mostly I paint because it makes me happy.

I am also a member of a cooperative gallery in Portland Maine. This gallery, the Sylvia Kania Gallery, SKG, is located at 566 Congress and is open Wednesday thru Saturday 12pm-5pm (sometimes earlier, sometimes later) and Sunday 11 -3, otherwise by chance or appointment.