My current figurative-expressionist
painting style and use of vibrant colors developed as a
result of visual experiences in the Andes Mountains of Peru, first
in the 1970s, and more recently when I served as a Senior
Fulbright Scholar in Chile in 1994 and 1996. Each visit to
the Andes left me with the haunting impression of altered color
and depth perception and resulted in a new painting
technique.
I now often use pure pigments which yield bolder colors that are
similar to how they are perceived at high altitude. In
addition, I am working with increased contrast between light and
shadow and conveying a sharpness of form and shape by means of
cloisonnistic encasing. Since the atmospheric, color and
light conditions in the American southwest are to some extent
comparable to those found at high-altitude, I particularly enjoy
painting western landscapes of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico,
and the Pacific region.
In relation to art history,
my painting style derives from the influence of German
expressionists, particularly Gabriele Münter and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff.
