Having grown up in Colorado, I have always been inspired by mountains. but I only began painting them in France, during summers visiting Martine’s family in their 1838 farm house in the French Jura, near the border between France and Switzerland. Though far more ancient and far less rugged than the Rockies, the mountains of the Jura are no less powerful. Of particular interest to me is the enormous farm houses, which are built into the terrain and seem as solid and as permanent as the rocks that surround them. I am equally fascinated by the ever-shifting terrain — how pastureland shifts abruptly into steep cliff faces, or drops off suddenly into deep ravines, where wildflower meadows interdigitate with forests and meandering villages, all contributing to an endless array of challenging compositions. Because my aim is to be present to the place, as fully as possible, I draw and paint almost exclusively en plein air, outdoors and on site, striving to capture with exactitude and sensitivity the qualities of the scene before me. These same concerns inform my interest in portraiture, interiors, and still-life. My preferred painting medium is watercolor, but at different points I have enjoyed working in gouache, oils, and pastels.
