First, the Studio Tour

Let me show you around. This is the place where I work (it is also my favorite "spot" at home)-- a clean, bright corner surrounded by tubes of paint, recently-finished work that has yet to dry, an antique Bavarian pot full of delicious loose-leaf tea at hand.
I tend to look outside quite a bit (particularly, of course, at the fountain) and I rather dislike artificial light, so I chose the brightest place available near a large window (in what should have been the dining room) and generally work in the morning. I often play music on my stereo when I paint-- one can never guess what might emit from my corner-- Wagnerian opera, the waltzes of Chopin, Edith Piaf, Radiohead, folk songs, Frank Sinatra, fugues for organ, European dance music, or even heavy metal. . . I tend to be curious about music and appreciative of talent in general.
I keep my paints, brushes, and other smaller supplies in a wooden box which I bought and burned my name into. This box often travels with me-- once, a bottle of ink broke in my luggage and splattered over the box, adding to it a few less deliberate markings!
Being environmentally conscious (not always easy when it comes to paint) and concerned with "thrift", I try not to waste materials. I also do my best not to put paint in the trash can or sink. I am usually fairly good at using everything I put on my palette, but once in a while I end up with a brushstroke or two of "waste paint", and that ends up on a folding screen that I found gathering cobwebs in my parents' garage, cleaned up, and use now to block off my studio space. Many people say they like the screen as it is, but I may finally put a design on it once it is completely covered.
I work almost exclusively in water-soluble oils and the way I begin or complete a painting depends entirely upon how I wish to depict a given plant, creature, building, et cetera. At any rate, I always have a cup of water, a towel, the color chart I "invented" for myself, and many different shapes and sizes of brushes nearby. The studio is where most of my paintings are created and is therefore, in itself, an art medium. Hopefully, I will soon be able to expand my studio to include a small "home gallery" space. . . stay tuned for updates!
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Abstract Träumerei

The German word "Träumerei" is at once "reverie" and "musing"-- there is a shimmering quality to the sound of it, something which bespeaks visions, creativity, and beauty, something of which I am conscious when I begin a new painting. Balance and enlightenment, "dreamscapes", the wonder of life and the vitality of nature, the casting off of worry and trivialities, the many worlds within worlds, and the strength and nobility which can be cultivated within the human spirit. . . these are but a few of the motifs which often come up in my work, whether I am painting a portrait of a friend, a landscape in Huntsville, or a tree as seen from the window of a moving train.

I am, put quite simply, a painter of internal realities.

For the most part, I prefer to let my art speak for itself while I continue on in relative peace and silence at my easel. Yet when I am sitting on my balcony overlooking a glimmering fountain (I am exceedingly captivated by the fountain), mentally organizing my thoughts and plans, I feel strongly compelled to talk about what I do and, of course, to learn more about what other artists have to say about their lives and work as well.

So I shall begin to speak, and I shall begin here.

Welcome to my "Abstract Träumerei"!
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