August 6th – 31st, 2021

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”  -Socrates

This past year has been laden with change and challenges that most of us could not even imagine coming to pass.  In response to the stresses and isolation that Covid brought to most of our lives, I found myself increasingly turning inward, evaluating and pondering everything.  A reclarification of priorities led to more time in my studio and working through the emotional backlog of difficult feelings that the end of cancer treatment and separation from vital family members brought up inside me.

Looking up to the sky and being uplifted and inspired by cloud formations has brought me closer to peace.  Hundreds of cloud photo references serve as a basis for many of my paintings.  I find the shapes and forms endlessly fascinating and spend many blissful hours in my studio creating paintings that challenge me yet fulfill a need within me to move my emotions and resolve life’s issues as my work  progresses.

A recent focus in painting clouds is in portraying the many transparent overlapping layers, which give clouds their ethereal nature.  “Believe in Me” features a fluffy white cloud majestically floating at the head of a mass of less distinct clouds, reminiscent of a queen with her train trailing behind her.  “Unforeseen” sparks a very different emotional state, with a mass of swirling storm clouds surrounding a bright opening between the clouds – the proverbial light amidst the darkness.  Another rendition of storm clouds is “Powerful Forces” which portrays opposing bright areas counterbalancing each other.

A complementary introspective activity to my cloud watching has been walking in the woods on the many trails around the area of New Hampshire where I live.  “Enchanted Forest” is a scene I came upon which completely mesmerized me with the effects of the late afternoon light on two prominent trees in the foreground.  “The Choice Ahead” is another trail piece where the angled light hitting the trees ahead became the focus of the painting.  “The Secrets We Keep” features a tree line at dusk with violet wispy clouds floating overhead, evoking deep and mysterious feelings.

This incredibly introspective time has brought me closer to being the person and the painter I want to become.  Personal and professional growth have always been my priority.  The gift in this time of incredible stress and inevitable change is its motivating force for the emergence of creativity and passion as we take stock of what we value and wish to create in our lives.