I first fell in love with the rural Midwest landscape as a child visiting my grandparents' farm in Minnesota. Watching the stunning sunsets illuminate the fields, trees, and ponds through the car window on long drives home left me with a profound sense of awe. My art is driven by the desire to capture moments from distant memories like these. After earning a degree in art and theatre from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, in 2003, I got married, built a home in the West Michigan countryside, raised two boys, and continued to pursue my passion for oil painting through self-study. Traditional oil painting has long been an abiding passion of mine, drawing inspiration from the masters of light, atmosphere, and form, most notably Rembrandt and J.M.W. Turner. The Hudson River school, French Impressionism, Romanticism, and the Barbizon painters have all had a large impact on my art. However, The American Tonalists of the late ninetieth century, particularly George Inness, have had the greatest influence on my work. I have earned many awards from juried competitions throughout Michigan. My work is collected across the United States and is represented by the J. Petter galleries in Douglas, Michigan.
"Mine is a visionary approach to Landscape painting that is spiritual and poetic. The old master's style. The use of dramatic light and vivid colors to create a memory."
Landscape painting provides a calming escape from the complexity and chaos of the world, offering simplicity and order. In my art I strive for tranquility, harmony, and balance. Effective design, harmonious color schemes, and expressive paint handling are essential to achieving this. I am committed to creating visual poetry that awakens emotion, guided solely by artistic expression. The changing seasons and weather in Michigan bring endless inspiration through its beautiful landscapes. I capture the essence of pastoral scenes, unified by a distinct light and atmosphere, often at dawn or dusk. I convey a sense of mystery of place, drawing upon my own memory and intuition rather than painting on site or from reference photos. The simple composition and absence of narrative impart a sense of tranquility and introspection, evoking the feeling of being alone in nature.
