Inspirations and Practice
Finding Beauty in Simplicity and Balance
This reflection traces the sensibilities that continue to shape my creative life—an enduring appreciation for simplicity, proportion, and the quiet grace of well-made things. From ancient pottery and Georgian architecture to Scandinavian design and modernist painting, these influences converge in a way of seeing that values restraint, clarity, and the timeless presence of beauty.
My artistic and design sensibilities have been shaped by an enduring appreciation for simplicity and elegance—qualities that transcend cultures and centuries. I am drawn to the quiet grace of ancient Asian pottery, the meditative restraint of minimalist art, the luminous clarity of eighteenth-century Irish glass, and the humble refinement of country furniture from places as varied as Italy and New England, where patina and wear serve as living records of time.
I have always been drawn to dichotomies—the old and the new, the refined and the humble. I love old leather-bound volumes and finely produced contemporary art books—objects that hold both beauty and knowledge. My admiration for Georgian architecture, both European and American, reflects a devotion to proportion and clarity, harmonizing with my ongoing engagement with modernist painting and the ways artists bridge tradition with new ways of seeing. Equally compelling to me is the contemplative restraint of Scandinavian design, where asymmetry, balance, and natural materials create a sense of calm clarity. I am continually inspired by modern artists whose work reveals the tension between invention and quietude, and by those whose brilliance went unrecognized in their lifetimes. I am also drawn to the integrity of contemporary artists who work beyond the spectacle of the mainstream art world, creating meaningful work with sincerity and purpose.
I live with handmade objects I admire, chosen for their integrity and clarity of form. I am drawn to clean lines, geometric shapes, and the honest warmth of natural materials. Though I often resist ornament, I cannot deny my affection for the elegance of Louis XV furniture. I love the refinement of a well-set candlelit table and the ease of a picnic in a beautiful setting. I am equally comfortable in both worlds.
At the heart of my inspiration lies the tranquil beauty of nature and the serenity of well-ordered interiors that invite reflection. In the end, I embrace the union of elegance, simplicity, and restraint—qualities through which I cultivate a personal language, one that honors history while finding its own quiet modernity.
From an early age, I was drawn to the act of making—drawing and painting became natural ways to observe and understand the world. This impulse led me to study design at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, and later to earn an MFA at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, where studies in graphic design and art history deepened my sense of visual structure, proportion, and harmony.
My painting practice has evolved through years of looking, reading, and traveling—studying artworks in museums and galleries, reflecting on the lives of artists, and, above all, through the discipline of daily work in the studio. From my home in Woodstock, Vermont, I paint still life, landscape, and abstract compositions that emerge from close observation of the changing seasons and the quiet rhythms of rural life. Each work is a meditation on form and atmosphere—an attempt to distill the essential character of place into color, shape, and light.
My paintings are invitations to contemplation, evoking the understated power of simplicity and silence. Rooted in the landscape that has sustained my imagination since 1991, they express a balance between the visible world and the inner life it awakens.
A reflection on the sources of inspiration behind my artistic practice—where simplicity, craftsmanship, and timeless design meet modern expression. Read more Reflections >
