WHY I PAINT LANDSCAPES:

I am a realist seeking the peace and quiet of earlier times. I am fascinated by the undulating hills, the green vistas, the soft blue mountains, and the rich historic areas around me.

Through both my plein air and studio paintings, I try to give an emotional response to these ever vanishing landscapes constantly in danger of suburban crawl.

The painting at right, Hill Street Blues, won Best in Show at the plein air competition: Paint It! Ellicott City in Howard County MD. Twenty-five juried artists participated painting the historic town, quirky streets and marvelous old stone buildings, home to the first railroad station in the country.

These urban paintings begin as plein air sketches. Hill Street Blues, Green Light, Afternoon on Court Street and Shadows on Church St. were all done on location. The later two were done in the Easels in Frederick event in June. However, some of the other paintings are finished in the studio where I enlarged and revised them for a final studio painting.