My art gets its inspiration from classical traditions and techniques of the Old Masters. I work only from life through direct observation of nature, not relying on photographs or other aids. A method known as sight-size, puts an appropriate distance between myself and my subject while I work. This allows me to get a broader overall impression. The finished painting gains focus.
This naturalistic tradition traces back to Leonardo, who developed many of these techniques. Great masters such as Velazquez and Sargent, continued the tradition and further refined the process. While unpopular to modern tastes, there are areas where the old methods are still practiced–such as Italy, where I trained for several years.
These works are not intended to be a literal representation of a person or place, they should be an entity living and breathing all its own.