In Raw Umber

These landscape paintings grow out of my daily life in rural Vermont—an attempt to capture the feeling of the land rather than render a pristine or academic image of it.

I have reduced my palette to neutral grays and raw umber. This natural earth pigment, mined in Umbria, Italy, allows the details of a view to settle into a warm, soft impression—much like a distant memory or a dream.

The grittiness of the Vermont landscape is mirrored in my process. I work on wood panels or linen boards, applying loose, wet oil paint with brushes, rags, and sandpaper. By building up layers and wiping them away, I draw out raw umber’s full tonal range—from deep shadow to luminous, pale ochre. The result is a light, immediate touch—an homage to the place I roam and contemplate every day.