I really enjoy the artwork of so many artists, past and present. Off the top of my head I'd have to mention Jules Bastien-Lepage, Joan Eardley, Hokusai, Albrecht Dürer, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Vincent van Gogh, and the Canadian painters The Group of Seven, Emily Carr, and Clarence Gagnon. And I would say my current approach to painting and my painting life has been strongly influenced by contemporary artists Daniel Greene and Burton Silverman.
And science in all its forms has long been a source of wonder and inspiration to me; everything from biology to chemistry to geology and on. There's inspiration there to last centuries!
I am also inspired by the great outdoors, by good writing, by brilliant minds, and by anyone who is working hard at their job no matter what it is.
And in any art museum, portraits are everywhere: in every style, color, and size, from every country and created by every type of artist.
In a portrait's brushstrokes we find a path connecting us to another human on a timeless level.
Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, van Gogh and Rembrandt's many self-portraits, these are just a few of the well-known portraits that have come down to us through the ages. Their popularity is testimony to the power and value of capturing personality, character, and aspect, on canvas.
Oil paint captures the living qualities of the human face and body like no other medium. Skillfully handled, the portrait transcends technique and draws the viewer in, and a single artist creates a treasure for us all.