The Art Of Problem Solving.
The two great loves of my life are problem-solving and creativity. The jobs and hobbies I've picked up in my life have combined these two principles. My first job out of college was as a buyer at a clothing company. I was simultaneously running a business and designing clothes. After six years I decided to try something new and left to enter a master’s program in Pure Mathematics. People are often surprised by how much creativity there is in constructing mathematical proofs in new or beautiful ways. I used my master’s degree to launch my teaching/tutoring career and as a parent can tell you dealing with teenagers on a regular basis requires a surprising amount of BOTH problem-solving and creativity! Over the years I have picked up many hobbies including pottery, makeup artistry, and interior design, but oil painting was the most challenging and inspiring. The variations are endless and every class I take or book I read opens a window to new ideas. Like the puzzles and mysteries I enjoy so much, every painting is a riddle waiting to be solved. Thinking and creating go hand in hand. Beginning a painting, I let my creativity run wild. Marks, shapes, and colors are put down intuitively. Midway through I switch gears to my problem-solving side. What works? What doesn’t? What is needed? What can be removed? Many years later I am painting and problem-solving, and with all that practice I am making things I can't wait to share with the world.
Trust the Process
I don’t have a favorite color. I have THOUSANDS of favorite colors. Exploring color is the driving force in my process of creating art. The beautiful rich depth of oil paints allows me to explore my love of chromatic variation. I often begin the painting process by choosing a few tubes of paint and mixing until I get as many beautiful mixtures as possible. This activity is meditative and gives me a jolt of pleasure when I get a particularly striking combination. Then cue the Axl Rose and Chris Cornell as I put paint on my surface with strong, bold, and energetic marks. The last phase is analytical. I consider the painting and see what works and what doesn’t and begin to edit and add using my mathematical side. When every spot on the canvas is considered, I make a few final marks with vibrant oil pastels, sketchy graphite, or thick, dark charcoal and everything ties together.
One of my largest sources of creative inspiration is Nantucket Island. As a child, I was always taking art classes and one of my first was ceramics at the Nantucket Artist’s Association on Main Street. I have spent my summers in Nantucket since I was six and in 2006 I became a resident. Many of my landscapes show treasured Nantucket scenes. The big skies, dusty roads, harbor boats, and farm fields directly behind my house give me endless source material. I love to play with the color palette to give different takes on my favorite views. I want the vibrant hues and bold brush strokes of my paintings to be the perfect complement to the Grey Lady!
The Grey Lady
Local to Montclair, NJ or Nantucket, MA? Come into the studio to look at work in person, find hidden gems, or just say hi!
