Many of my landscapes I paint en plein air for the pleasures of engaging weather, light, land, and people. The process cultivates openness to chance beyond changing skies. I may paint a section of river, but unique events ‘off camera’ often inspire and generate paintings that have nothing to do with the river, or plein air.

Plein air paradoxically treats ephemeral events as fixed images to greater appreciate ephemerality.

Often one plein air painting leads to a short series like the Lake Forest beach coves or the West Side vacant lot. These series were done at Ragdale and Marie Walsh Sharpe residencies, respectively, where I used plein air painting to greet and explore a new place.

Times-of-day motifs recur in my artwork as a result of being outdoors frequently and rooted to the arcing sun, my ultimate clock.