Artist's Statement
With my paintings I seek to inspire a sense of peace and relaxation. Each time I paint, I take a journey with nature to celebrate and exalt harmony and beauty.
My first creative expression was painting the Italian countryside. The white houses perched on rolling hilltops, the country roads, and the cultivated patches of land show the harmony of people living in balance with nature. But my emphasis is on the land itself, using roads, trails and pathways for guidance and direction to the viewer's eye. My aim is to transport the viewer into this peaceful land and to point the way beyond--toward the next valley, the next village and toward the unknown.
While living in tropical and sub-tropical climates, I became fascinated with painting water scenes and water lilies. The way the water lilies flower and float on the water's surface, as if they were sleeping, and the way the giant cypress trees gently rise up from the swamps, produce a sense of peace and relaxation in me that I seek to inspire in my paintings.
With my decision to live in Colorado near the Rocky Mountains came an explosion of paintings of mountain scenes exalting the various moods of the high country. Spring flowers, golden aspens, snow capped mountains, and waterfalls captivated my senses. I was taken back to my earliest memories of the Italian Alps as I captured these images in my paintings. As I further explored the western states, I was stunned by the enormity and beauty of this nation's canyons and extraordinary rock formations. I was compelled to paint the beauty and grandiosity of these natural places.
In some of my paintings I have attempted to capture the charm, serenity and exquisite architecture of what I consider to be the most captivating city in the world-Venice. The bridges, canals, cathedrals and piazzas of this city on water provide graceful subjects for my canvasses and represent a departure from painting purely natural settings.
I often find the inspiration for my paintings from my photographs. I especially love to capture sunsets and clouds on photographs, and weave these elements into my depiction of natural scenes. I am continuously fascinated by the infinite colors and shapes of clouds, which are often the central focus of my paintings.
Painting brings me the excitement of creating something of beauty that has not existed before. My joy is for my artwork to convey the peace and beauty of the surrounding world we are visiting.