w w w. d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a . c o m
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experimental psychology we
studied the physics of visual
perception. The human eye
organizes space such that the
placement of the primary
focus in the composition is
pleasing and familiar. I make
the subject as bold as I can
with subordinate shapes and
colors.
Driving back from an auc-
tion in Red Lodge a few years
ago, I saw a beautiful horse,
a Paint, that I went back
to photograph. That image
became the painting "Red
Lodge Grazer," which was
the featured piece in the St.
Johns Foundation Show and
Sale later that year (2011).
The strength of his pose, the
strong diagonals, the light/
dark, and warm/cool features
were just too much to pass
up. Placing his head in the
lower quadrant worked. The late afternoon sun cre-
ated great shadows and light.
your artWork IS "PaIntErly" at ItS
ESSEnCE. What doES "PaIntErly" mEan
to you, and hoW do you EmPloy that
StylE In your Work?
My work is painterly. That means
brushstrokes and knife work with
more paint and texture. Impres-
sionism typically falls within the
painterly style. The brush strokes
and knife effects are utilized to pro-
duce a looser presentation. Using
large brushes and establishing the
shapes properly forces me to remain
simplistic and only as detailed as
necessary. Often the under painting
is thin and thick paint applied over
with a dry brush, but another facet
of painterly style is painting wet on
wet, allowing for mixing colors on
the canvas creating another value at
the juxtaposition.
doES thE Joy In your Work lIE In thE
aCt of CrEatIng thE PIECE, or In ItS
ComPlEtIon?
Both creation and completion. Almost always I experi-
ence a sense of risk when beginning. Most subjects are
Red Lodge Grazer
Glade Park
