MISSION STATEMENT - Life, Truth, Beauty, Unity

“Painting is a language that can not be replaced by any other language.” - Michelangelo


LIFE - Philosophically, I come from the perspective of historical, orthodox Christianity (I am a Catholic), which means that I accept as given that the universe has a point, a purpose that comes from beyond nature. Nature is, in this way, a sort of continually unfolding metaphor. Creation points to the Creator in all its details. In my art I hope to call attention to the hand of God in nature, and so the purpose of my art is to point to nature, which in turn points to God. In the words of Somerset Maugham – “Art for art’s sake makes no more sense than gin for gin’s sake.”. Art should represent, not an escape from life - or an attempt to set up some independent or alternate reality - but a deeper understanding of life.

TRUTH - Artistically, I am a “classical realist”, though the definition of “realism” can be somewhat flexible. Without getting into a long discussion (I’ll save that for the blog) I can describe it as art that is faithful to nature. That does not necessarily mean “photographic” or highly detailed. It does not mean expressionless copying. The great impressionists (like Monet) played down details and defined edges in favor of emphasizing light and color, but they were describing a natural light and natural colors, not mere invented color harmonies or abstraction. They were still in love with their subject. This type of art is (consciously or not) an act of worship. Art should tell the truth while appealing to the higher aspirations of the human spirit, not pandering to the baser instincts or following the latest fads.

BEAUTY - All who admire nature glorify God, whether or not they mean to. My job is to help people to admire nature. I hope that my artwork will encourage those who view it to slow down, to observe carefully, and to appreciate the infinite, exuberant complexity and beauty of the world. I am fascinated with every piece of fruit, and I hope this comes through in my paintings.

UNITY - All things find their meaning and purpose in their Creator. Life, truth and beauty together constitute a unity or harmony of purpose that reflects the significance of a fully human existence. An attack on one of these principles is an attack on all. Art that celebrates ugliness, destruction or meaninglessness could therefore be described as sub-human or even anti-human.

The above described approach to art and nature is independent of any use of overt symbolism or religious imagery. It is a kind of visual philosophy.

I do plan to work with explicitly religious themes in some future projects.