Painting an Experience

I prefer to paint places I have personally been to. 

This isn't always a possibility, especially in the age of COVID, and I understand that this preference comes with enormous privilege. Still, I find that having experienced a place in person helps me to paint that place more holistically. 

It helps to see beyond a particular view of a camera lens, and instead, see the landscape in its entirety.

The inspiration behind the painting, “Forest Falls”: A cascading waterfall hidden by the overgrown greenery of an Appalachian summer.

Beyond seeing a place, what does it sound like? How does the chorus of cicadas harmonize with the infinite rush of the waterfall? How does the subtle wind and soft mist of that waterfall carry the sweet fragrance of the freshly bloomed Rhododendron flowers? How do the smoothly polished stones feel beneath your feet as the cool mountain water gently laps around you?

When I paint, I often blend multiple reference photos with my own memories on one canvas, so that I can try in some small way to capture the experience of nature in all its beautiful, unique complexity.

“Rhododendron Falls,” acrylic, 20” x 16”

“Forest Falls,” acrylic, 20” x 16”