America, My Country

The People, The Country

This body of work is influenced by the love I have for the people of my country. I set out to capture my fellow Americas in snapshot views of their everyday lives and activities. In this edition I have covered some of the Northeastern United States and placed these paintings chronologically as they were finished.

When creating this series I look for subjects that strike me as perfect to recreate with paint on canvas, whether it was the lighting of the figure(s) or the environment they were in. I always look for the inspiration to strike before deciding on painting a particular person(s) or place.

Though some of the environments I paint may be of run down areas; I try to capture the dignity of the figures and the beauty of nature around them. Through these “snapshots”, I am able to, not only convey what I see through my eyes, but also express the deep love and pride I feel in being an American.

When creating a painting, I sketch the subject and take many photographs, to create the optimum composition for each piece.

Once the composition is decided on, before painting I lay in a ground plain on the canvas, using burnt sienna with white and yellow ochre acrylic paint mixed in, this gives the paintings a warm feeling. I start using a large brush at, then as the painting progresses, I will move to smaller and smaller brushes to achieve the finer details.

I try capture a bit of reality in this series, using my ability as an artist to show a bit of the everyday life and activities of the American people.