A Pastel Journey
I call my work Roadside Landscapes in Pastel. As I travel, hike thru Michigan fields and forests or even just running errands, I look for the beauty in the everyday, ordinary scenes that we all pass by every day. With a camera I keep in the car, I capture scenes that I find compelling. Often the quality of light or the subtle colors and patterns of the foliage or old buildings settling into the ground are intriguing to me. In my studio using the photo as a reference, as a beginning point, I explore the complexity of the textures, massing, geometry and spirit of seemingly simple natural scenes.
Following degrees in architectural design from Lawrence Technological University and Harvard University Graduate School of Design, my artistic outlet was focused on architectural design and, for the early part of my career, technical drafting and presentation drawings. Listening to a lifelong ambition to paint, I began working with pastels in July 2011 in a pastel workshop with artist Fran Seikaly. Subsequent workshops with Fran, Mary Jane Erhard, Vianna Szabo, Karen Margulis, Dawn Emerson, Bethany Fields and Terrilynn Dubreuil enabled me to continue to learn and grow as a pastel landscape artist.
I believe that learning to paint is learning to SEE. My love of the Michigan landscape began as a young boy. I would accompany my father, a science professor, on long walks thru fields and woods and he taught me to identify trees by the shape of the leaf and color and texture of the bark. He encouraged me to take the time to look at the texture and colors of the small plants, the moss and lichens growing on the forest floor. I find that the solitude of a walk in the forest gives me a feeling of peacefulness that is rooted in those walks with my father. The images of old Michigan farms, with overgrown fields, dilapidated barns awake my memories of my great grandparents’ farm in Geneva Township near Midland. The childhood joy and sense of home, of belonging are, for me, all wrapped up in memories of playing in the hayloft of the old barn, exploring the nearby woods and playing in the creek. Many people have remarked on this sense of peace that my art evokes in them.
I draw with pastels from Terry Ludwig, Diane Townsend, Jack Richeson, Girault, NuPastels and Great American on a variety of sanded pastel papers. The metal frames I use are from Frame Destination in Dallas, Texas with Anti-Reflective Water White-Art Glass AR70 and acid free board and mounting materials. The limited edition giclee fine art reproductions are produced by Titan Photo Lab in Troy, Michigan.
Exhibitions & Awards
2024 - President of the Great Lakes Pastel Society
2023 October, November - It’s Pastel! 15th Annual National Juried Exhibit, Pastel Society of New Hampshire, “March Trees 2”
2023 October, November - Breaking Boundaries: Excellence in Pastel, Appalachian Pastel Society, “July Farm”
2023 September, December - Pastels Only, 23rd Annual Open Juried Exhibit, Pastel Society of Maine, “July Farm study”
2023 August, December - Summer Time!, an on line exhibit, Pastel Society Alaska, “Woodland Trail, Deep in the Woods 7, July Farm”
2023 July August - 9th Annual National Exhibit, Adirondack Pastel Society, “Autumn Trees Grand Lake”
2023 July, August - 2023 Juried Members Exhibit, Great Lakes Pastel Society, Crooked Tree Art Center Traverse City, MIchigan. “Summer Field”
2023 June, July - For Pastels Only, Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, “July Farm study”
2023 April, May - Light & Color: Juried Pastel Exhibit, The Art House, Northville, MI. “January Farm, March Trees 2 and Oscoda Barn”
2023 April, May - The Art Barn, Valparasio, IN. 29th Annual Art Exhibit, “November 2” Merit Award
2023 February, March - Anything Goes Exhibit, Gutman Gallery Ann Arbor, “July Farm”
2023 February, March - Members’ Exhibit, Northville Art House “Summer Field”
2023 February - Warmth in Winter, Alaska Pastel Society on-line exhibit, “January Farm and March Trees 2”
2022 August, September & October - 2022 Great Lakes Pastel Society Online National Exhibition, “Winter Farm”
2022 July & August - Featured Artist in the Great Lakes Pastel Society Newsletter Purely Pastel.
2022 July - The Summer Invitational, a juried exhibit at The Lawrence Street Gallery, Ferndale Michigan, “Red Barn”
2022 - February 17 - March 25. The Winter Palette, a juried exhibit at the Kavanaugh Gallery of the Fine Line Creative Arts Center, St. Charles Indiana “Before the First November Snowfall”
2021 - Oct-Dec - 13th Annual ‘It’s Pastel!’ National Exhibit, the Pastel Society of New Hampshire, “Autumn Trees”
2021 - Sept 18 - Oct 6th - Great Lakes Pastel Society Members Exhibit, “Edge of the Woods 4”
2021 - Sept - Pastels Only 21st International Exhibit - Pastel Society of Maine, “Edge of the Woods 5”
2021 - Sept & October - Enduring Brillance! 49th Annual Exhibition, Pastel Society of America, “Autumn Trees”
2021 - July 1 -30th - Summer Invitational, Lawrence Street Gallery, Ferndale MI. “Summer Farm”
2021 July 20th-Aug 15th - 7th Annual National Pastel Exhibit, Adirondack Pastel Society, “March Trees 2”
2021 July 1-30th - 2021 For Pastels Only, Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, “Old Farm”
2021 May 1st thru June 12th - GETAWAY Exhibit at LowellArts Gallery in Lowell, MI. “Manistee Trail Study”
2021 February 4th thru the 27th - Landscapes 2021, Online Exhibition, Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, California. “Old Meadowbrook Oak”
2020 September 3 thru October 10 - Voices of the Midwest, the Kavanagh Gallery, Fine Line Creative Arts Center, St. Charles, IL. “Old Michigan Farm”
September 2020 - Pastels Only, the 20th Annual International Juried Exhibition of the Pastel Society of Maine. On-Line Only in 2020. “Edge of the Woods 4”
August 2020 - Solo Exhibit, The Gallery at Beyer’s Furniture, Lapeer Michigan. Sponsored by The Stone’s Throw Theater. 39 Original Pastel Drawings
July - August 2020 - 6th Annual National Pastel Exhibition. An Online exhibit sponsored by the Adirondack Pastel Society. “Old Meadowbrook Oak”
June - July 2020 - 24th National Online Juried Exhibit, For Pastels Only on Cape Cod. Presented by the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod. “Edge of the Woods 4”
March 2020 Fleur Exhibit – Gutman Gallery, Ann Arbor Michigan. “Spring by the Lake”
2019 Exhibit - Wintry Mix: The Art of Ice & Snow, View Gallery, Old Forge New York. “Winter Birch”
2019 Best in Show - Royal Oak Art Fair Edition – Guild of Artists & Artisans
2019 Pastel Society of Maine Exhibition “Pastels Only” – “Edge of the Woods 3” Merit Award
2019 Northeast National Pastel Exhibition – View Gallery Old Forge, NY. “Walk to the Lake” Lee Award
2018 Experience Art Rapids – Elk Rapids, Michigan
2018 Location, Location, Location – LowellArts, Lowell MI. “June Morning near Webberville MI”
2018 Northeast National Pastel Exhibition, View Gallery, Old Forge NY. “Across the Field”
2017 Artist First Place Award – Brighton Fine Art & Acoustic Music Festival
2017 – 89th Annual Regional Exhibition - Muskegon Art Museum. “June Morning near Webberville MI”