The Sacred Bond: Humans and Nature

Are they surfing or feeding?

As a painter of the invisible through abstraction, I am often affected emotionally by nature and the mystical connections that tie all beings together. I try to capture the essence of this interdependence between us, animals, and the environment whether man-made or natural

Even our domestic companions teach us valuable lessons about empathy, compassion, and interconnectedness. If you have had the blessing of living with a beloved dog, cat, or horse, I am absolutely sure you have been a recipient of those behaviors. Animals remind us that we are not separate from nature but deeply intertwined with it, sharing a common experience.

Beyond their ecological importance, animals of all kinds bring beauty and wonder into our lives. From the graceful flight of a single bird to the lively play of your dog or cat, or the many prowling wild animals we hope not to run into. Here in California it can be a rattlesnake on the trail where you are hiking, a mountain lion living in the mountains where you might be mountain biking, or a seagull circling in the air at the beach. The other day I was at Zuma Beach in Malibu and the waves were impressive, rolling onto the shore. In the moment where the wave started to curl, the sun beamed through the water, turning it a beautiful transparent green. In that rolling water I saw a pod of dolphins feeding in the surf. I was in awe as they dipped upside down and sideways in the sunlit water. This enhanced that day’s experience and ignited my sense of awe, admiration, and fear.

As a painter, I try to distill the harmony of these complex relationships into emotive displays of color, texture, and form. You might not recognize a particular form, but I try to express how the experience felt.

We are all part of the same flowing stream. When I paint, I attempt to tap into this experience of unity. For in the end, we are all fellow passengers on this turning world, traversing together through time.