In my occupation as a social worker, which I did over 30 years, I helped people come to terms emotionally with physical and psychological trauma. Although the work was deeply satisfying, it was often saddening, and I had nothing tangible to show for it. I turned to painting to address those unmet needs. With painting, I can hold my work in my hands and then enjoy others’ response to it.
Aquatic Life at the Dolphin Club grew out of my thirty-year participation in this historic swimming and boating club on San Francisco’s waterfront. Even more than the fun and exercise of swimming outdoors in natural light, I value the club’s unique sense of community and companionship. The Dolphin Club is a special place, and I hope that specialness is evident in my paintings.
For me, painting is a lot like swimming. When I swim, I know intellectually what each part of my body is supposed to be doing, but I can’t think of all of them simultaneously. When I paint, I’m aware of all sorts of concerns to consider, yet I also know that at some point I must move beyond that awareness and simply paint.
I was trained at the Art Institute of Chicago by teachers who studied under students of Hans Hoffman and Josef Albers. From them I learned a tremendous amount about color and drawing; about plasticity (how things seem to move on the picture plane in static or dynamic ways); and about figure/ground relationships.
The paintings in “Aquatic Life” were all done in oil, in daylight, and from observation. They represent my ongoing interest in people and their relationship to a specific place.