A little bit about myself...

At long last I'm joining the ranks of the many fine art bloggers I've been following for some time. I can't claim to be in the same league as the folks on my blogroll, but I do like the idea of actually participating in this online community of artists rather than just silently admiring what others are putting out there.

I'm a self-taught artist, having first tried painting about 20 years ago. I painted sporadically and poorly for many years, making little progress, until 2004, when I finally made some studio space in the basement and started painting regularly. I really enjoy painting outdoors on location whenever possible, but with a full-time job and a toddler at home, time for such adventures is severely limited.

Before I start posting my most recent work, I'll post one from my favorite plein air session from last year, when I took a terrific workshop with Ken Dewaard in Charlottesville, Virginia. We had a rare opportunity to paint at Monticello.

Monticello Morning, Oil on Panel, 8x10 (sold)

Painting at Jefferson's Monticello, September 2008

I think I'm somewhere between hobbyist and 'emerging artist.' My goal for the coming year is to pursue some gallery representation. This fall I'm taking a landscape painting class at a local university since the class is being taught by my friend and mentor, Paul Dinwiddie. I'll be posting work from that class in the weeks ahead. Feel free to offer honest critiques of the paintings I post here. It's hard to improve if nobody points out what you're doing wrong!