30 of 53

|

This idyllic white and green Russian Orthodox church is found on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula and overlooks the small village of Ninilchik. It’s called the Holy Transformation of Our Lord Chapel. The light was very dramatic the day I visited and I was taken by the way the onion dome crosses were illuminated against the dark, stormy sky. I thought about the harsh elements the people who founded this village must have faced and what this little church must have meant to them and still does. It stands as a continual reminder of hope and inspiration.

A shaft of morning sunlight through the trees after a stormy evening, the tranquility of cows grazing in a pasture, rapids sparkling with light on a particularly clear day, these are examples of everyday things that inspire me to paint. Beauty makes us glad to be alive and I want to celebrate and share that joy through painting. Beauty is not always found in the obvious or in dramatic scenes. As I progress as an artist, I become increasingly aware of beauty found in unexpected and ordinary places. Art is an exploratory process. Each subject or concept seems to request a different approach or medium to best express its nature. I primarily work in oils and pastels but I don't limit myself. Working in new mediums and discovering their...