Watercolors Landscapes

When asked to be part of a four-person show in Brussels, Belgium I was quite excited, but then I was given the challenge: to represent the United States in eight watercolors. How, I thought, could I represent our great, diverse nation in just eight scenes? After weeks of thought and search, I chose to paint New York City, with the beams of light shining up to the heavens in memory of all who perished on September eleventh; the Gulf Coast with lazy fishermen harvesting the autumn run of red fish; the Arizona desert with its giant cacti, standing like soldiers guarding distant Phoenix; a Midwest farm rich and comfortable, with soy beans and corn; Montana cowboys riding the open range; the Pacific Northwest, rocky and wild, with the ocean spray gleaming on the boulders; the swamps of Louisiana, mysterious in the magical light filtering through the Cyprus trees; and the Washington Monument in spring with people from all the nations gathering to fly kites and enjoy picnic outings.

My new life is filled with magnificent sunsets, big skies, mountains, plains, ranching, skiing, and wildlife. Our closest neighbor is eight miles away, as the crow flies, and the land abounds with wildlife. Cattle, roaming over the open-range, are a delight to watch in spring when the young ones are frisky. The greater Yellowstone area is a down-hill and cross-country skiers’ delight. In these watercolors, I tried to catch the meaning of my new life in the West.