Since childhood I have always loved painting. Initially I painted in watercolor and oils. Later I discovered acrylic and encaustic. I continued to explore painting on paper, canvas and also wood.
I like the freshness of this medium and the fact that watercolor lends itself very nicely to being outdoors. Unlike other mediums, watercolor doesn't allow you to rework your painting. This means the artist has to be very sensitive to the paper.There are special qualities about watercolor that cannot be achieved by others mediums.
My attraction to relief printing technique is the simplicity!I love the feel of the gouge in the wood or the linoleum. Relief printing leads itself to a bold and graffic design.I particulary enjoy making " puzzle prints". To do this I use an electric jigsaw to cut out sections of a block which I then roll on the color with a brayer. Then, I reassemble the pieces, just like a puzzle, and with a single run through the press I have a multicolored print.Recently I participated in the BIG PRINT PROJECT . The size was the biggest I have ever done: 4 feet by 8 feet. This was challenging but the fun was to actually print it using a steam roller!
I was introduced to etching at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1965 when I was a student there. I reacquainted myself again in 1990 when I did my Mountain Journal project with the inspiration and assistance of the late Doug Biden.
I like the fine, sharp lines that are possible with etching. It has its own restrictions but these are also its attractions that are appealing to me.
I like the challenge of working in three dimensions. These large wall sculptures were made from wood and steel and I enjoyed the challenge of working with these materials.
My first exposure to the world of monotypes was in 1976 at the Hammer Gallery on the UCLA campus. There was an exhbiton of Richard Diebenkorn's monotypes which he had done with the help of his friend Nathan Olivera. This exhibition made a big impact on me as both these artists had been my teachers. The idea of the 'painterly print' was attractive to me and for the last forty years I have been making monotypes. I appreciate the fact that I do not have to edition these kinds of prints because they cannot be editioned. Like a drawing or a painting, each one is unique.
