Two Palms in the Sunset

It is Christmas in the Keys, glorious weather, sunny days, pastel clouds and warm breezes. I do not need to stray far from my own backyard to see beauty everywhere. As I pass the sixth holiday in a row without seeing my 19 year old son, I am filled with deep sadness and a sense of powerlessness. With the love, joy and excitement of the holidays the loss of my son stings that much more. In a country in which we hope for justice, I am still overcome by the corruption and injustice of our legal system. As I write this and while I was painting Two Palms in the Sunset simultaneously in Illinois the corruption surrounding their Governor is a constant reminder of how much we need to clean up our government. My painting is clear, the colors I choose are clean and there is no ambiguity as to how I am feeling.There is no deception behind the painting, what you see and how it provokes your feelings is what you get. I painted this with the mind to bring warmth and cheer to my viewer, in a time which is filled with such uncertainty. This painting is done in oils and considered a plein-air painting as it was done on the spot, Two Palms in the Sunset is done on a 20" x 20" Gallery wrapped canvas, price is $399.00

Why I paint

I paint because that is what I have always done from the time a crayon was placed in my tiny hands. I paint because I felt predestined to become an artist as if some higher power knew what they wanted me to do, before I could even conceive of such a concept. I paint because it soothes my soul, and because in the midst of what sometimes seems like a horrendous world, I am constantly awestruck by the incredible beauty that surrounds me. I paint because I cannot help myself, and like a junkie I am drawn to see the beauty and then to try and translate that on a two dimensional surface so that I can somehow preserve the moment. I paint because it is my lifeblood, it is my way of describing my calm moments in the virtual storm of intense feelings I experience. I paint because it keeps me sane, keeps me away from drugs and alcohol, keeps me from committing suicide, I paint to survive, it is my life jacket in a sea that wants to take me down. I paint because it lets me connect with people on a level in which no words are needed, and occasionally touches deep within a stranger and makes my existence worth something. I paint because I am overly concerned with the state of the world and it keeps me sane.