Statement about My Work

Throughout my childhood and during my education in chemistry and pharmacy and the 35 years that I was a practicing pharmacist, to be an artist has always been my dream.

My art education consisted of the very few workshops I attended with contemporary painters, the inspiration that I garnered from the many books I acquired over the years, and viewing museum exhibitions.

Van Gogh, Sergei Bongart, and Nicoli Fechin influenced my color expression while the love to paint imaginary subjects was inspired by Emil Nolde’s little watercolors.  In gestural drawings, works by Lautrec and Daumier always fascinated me.

Many contemporary artists have also inspired me. Charles Sovek is one who stands out in my mind. The extent of his passion for plein aire painting is rare among contemporary painters. In his charming small paintings, his ability to distill beautiful, and deceptively simple patterns from the complexities of nature is exciting to see. And my small format paintings, which were painted outdoors, attest to his influence.

In my art I do not feel restricted to any subject, particular style, or medium. I paint in oils, acrylics, watercolors, inks, or whatever comes my way. I paint any subject that appeals to me. I feel that style is not that important anymore. On the other hand, the artist’s personality, seeping through his/her work, is of paramount importance. To me, being restricted to any particular style is futile, since we need to grow through our lifetime as artists. The way we depict what we see is influenced by all that surround us—the people we meet, our day-to-day experiences, and the ever changing environment we are in. I do believe that growth and change is important at any level in a person’s career as an artist, since as artists our worst enemy is boredom in our work and in our way of life.

I consider the bulk of my work to be representational but not necessarily realistic. I strive to make a painting rather than a photographic image. I do occasionally delve into abstract art, which, to me, is the foundation for any art form.  Painting abstracts is a way to retain and or regain a certain freedom in producing color harmony and effective composition in paintings.

It has also been my passion to do some writing that I consider to be merely an enjoyable hobby. I do not consider myself a writer or a poet. The Images in Words depict either memories and stories from life, or playful fantasies that interject my thoughts, and have not much to do with reality.