Early Autumn Taos

The Ugly: men go in for it because they do not see enough of what is beautiful.”   Ingres

Realism is once again fashionable. Held in low esteem for much of the 20th century, it is again acceptable to render the world around us in a recognizable manner. However, fashion finds its identity in the changing currents of culture. As culture shifts, so does the artistic expression which characterizes the spirit of the age. The pursuit of visual fidelity can be as frivolous as a fad or as sincere as a calling. For almost four decades I have sought to paint imagery that is indeed realistic but with an aesthetic purpose owing nothing to the currently acceptable moment in fashion. My mentor and teacher, Richard Lack wrote,

This is why I have attempted to produce work according to an aesthetic standard that has as its foundation the great art of the past and as its purpose, the complex pursuit of beauty in all its forms. 

Beauty in art is far more than a “pretty picture.” Throughout history, artists have looked to external stimuli for artistic expression. Whether focused on landscape or religious themes; whether employing highly realistic or impressionist treatments, artists have looked to God’s creation as the subject for those pictorial elements. The result of such pursuits, if combined with artistic competence, is generally considered to be beautiful, if not beautiful in subject matter, then beautiful in workmanship. The efforts of a well-trained artist who is practicing his or her craft to represent the created world, even if depicting deplorable events, result in imagery that contains beauty in some form.

 My paintings are easily placed in three general categories through which I attempt my search for these ever-elusive ideals. They are:

• Figure, including historical, mythological, religious, genre and portraiture

• Still life, which allows investigation of light and its effect on different forms and textures

• Landscape which in my case predominantly includes scenes from Minnesota, New Mexico, and closer to home, Palo Duro Canyon State Park near Amarillo, Texas

Granted, these are lofty goals and they involve a lifetime of study which, for me, continues.