The
paintings on my website have resulted from a lifelong desire to record
the constantly changing urban, rural and industrial landscape that was shaped by
the presence of the railroad.
My first recording efforts were photographic, but I found myself limited by time and place, because I soon realized that what I really wanted to record was the age of steam. I began to experiment with various paint mediums to express myself in images that reflected my personal idea of what this world was like in the railroad age.
I think of all of my paintings as landscapes, whether they have a prominent rail element or not. Although realism plays an important part in my paintings, I don't necessarily try to create a historically accurate image. I prefer to capture the feel of the setting first, and then use the railroad elements for focus.
Watercolor has become my medium of choice. I imagine the scene in my head before I begin, then go to sketches and layout. The success or failure of a painting, to me, revolves around how well I have succeeded in capturing my original intent. While layering my paints, mistakes often happen, some with good fortune, some not. So each painting has its element of discovery: however, I don't let the process overtake my original vision.
I was trained as an industrial designer and have worked as an illustrator and cartographer for the publishing industry, in the science fiction and fantasy genres. I have exhibited in shows in the Philadelphia and northeast Pennsylvania area. My works are in private and corporate collections.