Artist Statement
My inspirations are to be found throughout the remarkable world of plants, from simplest weeds to elaborate horticultural creations, but my favorite subjects are the native plants, fungi and lichens of California. From a childhood spent exploring the wild places of this state to the present time I spend designing and gardening with a wide diversity of plants, I have found an endless supply of botanical subjects to pay homage to through my art. Accuracy and beauty are equally important goals, and I intend my art to serve as a medium through which my chosen subjects can speak, as it were, for themselves, and reveal their exquisite characters to the viewer.

Technique
Working almost exclusively from live specimens, I begin with a sketch, then a detailed pencil rendering on hot-press, acid-free paper. I then apply watercolor, first with small areas of wash, and later with rather dry paint applied with tiny sable brushes to gradually build up color, depth and detail. My pen & ink drawings also are started with a pencil drawing, over which the line and stippling are carefully applied with the smallest available Rapidograph pens. Extraneous pencil can be erased once the paint or ink is completely dry.