About Me
I'm a former full-time associate professor. I've taught painting, drawing, design, and art appreciation in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania for 30-plus years at 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities. My B.F.A. in painting with honors is from The American University and my M.F.A. in painting is from the School of Visual Arts at Boston University. I reside in Alexandria, Virginia, and teach at the Yellow Barn Studio, Glen Echo, Maryland. Award-winning artist and educator, Walter Bartman is the director and founder.
What's Important
I strive for pictorial expression through direct observation of the subject and the painting process. This dynamic is similar to a writer or poet searching for the right words and phrases to generate meaning or content using the written word. Similarly, I search for lines, shapes, and colors that combine my sense of sight with touch to convey my sensibilities through contact with something exterior to myself.
My goal is to explain and show students the importance of the relationships between active seeing, subject matter, and the pictorial process. When our senses of vision and touch are unified, unique and personal marks can capture the feelings and thoughts of the artist. Creating an artwork is a unique individual experience. With practice, students learn to structure and communicate their authentic, personal voice using the pictorial language.
How do I teach?
I work with each student at their level. We explore a wide variety of different subject matter, learn composition, build drawing skills, and reference masterworks. Often, I demonstrate different painting strategies and critique student work in progress. We cover safety protocols, the technical aspects of art materials, and the preparation of different painting surfaces. The goal is for you, the student, to learn to create paintings and drawings that are technically sound and personally expressive.
You may message me through the "Contact" page for more information.