From an early age, I loved drawing. And I practiced a lot. I attended kids’ art classes at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, then a painting class for teens. I earned a degree in Graphic Design at LaRoche College, so I could be an advertising artist. I’ve worked as an art director, designer and illustrator, but kept on painting for my own satisfaction. .

How does your medium inform your viewpoint? Or what do you like most about your medium?

Most of my paintings are oils, but I also work in acrylics. I like the subtle colors and smooth blending I can attain with oils; I also like the immediacy and drying speed of acrylics. So my available painting time can often decide which medium I use.

Who or what have been your artistic inspirations?

The classes (called the Tam O’Shanters) I took as a kid at the Carnegie, and my college design classes, had an enormous impact on the way I see the world. I’m curious by nature, so art from all genres inspires me to learn more and do more. I try to distill the essence of everyday things, by simplifying and enhancing basic shapes and colors that grab my attention.
 

Do you have a favorite piece in your portfolio?

My favorite paintings are always works that were slightly out of my control. They’re more than the sum of my limited skills or intentions. It’s almost as if someone else painted them. A small street scene I painted in Provincetown on Cape Cod comes to mind. If I paint enough, occasionally these little gifts show themselves.
 

What would be your advice to artists just starting out in your medium?

To an artist just starting out, first, be gentle with yourself. Learning to paint is really learning to see in a new way. It takes practice, like learning any new language. The motto of the Tam O’Shanters was “Look, to see, to remember.” I think the remembering takes the most practice. Even remembering what we see for the split second we look from the subject to the canvas takes time to learn. So paint a lot!