About the Artist:
My goal is to capture strong lights and shadows to create depth and vibrance in my paintings. My subject matter varies from portraits, still life and landscapes, all with special attention paid to deeply contrasting tones and dramatic lights and shadows. The method I use is called “tonal impressionism” which was inspired by artists such as Diego Velazquez and John Singer Sargent. This method is a realistic approach to painting which focuses on tones and shapes rather than lines. Paint is applied directly on to the canvas with no underpainting or pre-drawing.
I have had a love of art and drawing since I was a young child and worked as a commercial artist after college, but I was frustrated in my quest to learn how to paint like the old masters. In 1984 my search ended when I met artist Dominic Vignola who taught me how to paint tonally. I learned how to “see” my subjects differently by stepping back and looking at how the shapes and tones connect with each other to create an image. Placing those tones and shapes correctly on the canvas gradually pulls the image into focus to create a realistic likeness to the subject.
I have participated in many area art shows and my commissions include a submission for a design for a new baseball field for the village of Brookfield in the late 1980’s, a bridal portrait as a wedding gift to her husband and the portrait of the Chairman of the Department of Medicine of Loyola University Medical Center. I am a member of the Oil Painters of America and the Oak Park Art League.
For more information about this technique visit: www.oilpaintingwithoutdrawing.com.