About the Art

Since I began seriously doing visual art in the 1970s, I have created many hundreds of works of original art.  Since the beginning I have favored the human figure and still lifes or interiors, more recently I have been exploring pattern-based abstractions.  My art is now in collections in Japan, Italy, and Switzerland as well as in the United States.  (See my ARTIST'S STATEMENT for more information about my inspiration and philosophy, and an easy overview of my art, with pictures.)

I use almost all two-dimensional media in my art, from graphite (pencil) to pastel to oil paint to collage. Some of my art is on canvas, but most are on paper or a stiff artist's board.  (Some mixed-media works on paper will not be perfectly flat and should be mounted before framing; I usually don't do this until necessary to keep storing and transporting easy.)  I am happy to answer any questions about my art.

I am also happy to provide picture framing and conservation advice for art that I sell, having worked as a picture framer for several decades.  You will never regret the money put into a well-designed custom frame job; in my opinion, the frame is always part of the art.  General framing information can be found on this site under LINKS.

I have divided my art into eleven categories or "EXHIBITS," which you can access below, or through the GALLERY, or from the SITE MAP.  (More information is available in each EXHIBIT.)

Portraits: Women Men	Expressionistic, realistic, or fanciful, I classify a work of art as a portrait if it intentionally portrays, through the head or face, a particular person, character, or expression.  Most portraits depict the model from the chest up, but some are full figure.  Almost all are works on paper, in many media and styles.
Realistic and Expressionistic Figures	I put these two types--realistic and expressionistic--together since it is impossible to draw any meaningful division between them.  I mean, when does a brushstroke stop being realistic and start being expressionistic? Nonetheless, these pictures are realistic or expressive interpretations of individuals or their bodies, rather than stylized or decorative treatments of the human figure.  Most are in dry media like charcoal, dry or oil pastel, or colored pencil, with prominent stroking; some would be considered figure studies.
Abstract and Decorative Figures	This exhibit ranges from stylized abstractions of the figure to very detailed decorative pictures with lots of pattern (collage or painted).  These are generally hard-edged pictures with sensuous line, sometimes "flat" and sometimes textured and painterly.  Most are opaque paintings with collage.
Playful Figures	This exhibit contains a spontaneous and playful style of figures defined by simple lines and embedded in backgrounds of decorative papers.  Some of these pictures are influenced by Japanese ukiyo-e prints, while others use a heavier, calligraphic line.
Other Figures	These figure and figure-derived pictures do not fit in the other figure exhibits.  Included here are miscellaneous artworks derived from human figures, including organic abstractions based on parts of the body, and images of Hindu and Buddhist religious and mythological figures.
Abstracts	Called "abstracts" here and in common parlance, most of these are "non-objective" pictures (i.e. artworks without evident subject matter, or "object").  These works are characterized by bold color and a strong sense of form and composition, and are suitable for commercial spaces as well as the home.
Pattern Abstracts	With few exceptions, this is completely non-objective art, created purely for their meditative and decorative visual content.  Unlike the Abstracts, these pictures have all-over designs that create a visually dynamic pattern or texture.  Some of these works are very large; some are particularly suitable for public or corporate spaces, being uncontroversial but visually interesting.
Still Lifes	These pictures of interior scenes and objects from my life are generally realistic or even surrealistic.  They are almost always "decorative," with their bright colors and sensuality.  All media are represented, including large works on canvas.
Sculpture and 3-Dimensional Works	This exhibit includes a series of detailed relief wall plaques, several stone sculptures, and some functional ceramics.  Since I work primarily in two-dimensional media, this exhibit is relatively small; much of my stone sculpture has been sold to a Silicon Valley collector and is not displayed on this site.
Miscellany	This exhibit includes pictures of animals and fantasy creatures, as well as landscapes and a few other subjects.  Many of these works show the influence of my travels.
Artist's Collection	This exhibit includes some of my favorites, and pictures that I think the viewer might enjoy even though they are not currently for sale.  If I put these works in the regular exhibits, they would just to take up space and load time, and frustrate people looking to buy original art.  However, some are available for exhibition or publication.
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