My dad was the greatest influence of my painting career. He took the time to start me painting at the age of 5, and was the one that encouraged me to become an artist. His paintings followed a strong New England tradition of style, as did Emile Gruppe’, Edward Harrington and Marshall Joyce as well as many other great New England painters. The key to this as well as many of his other works is a strong control of the viewers eye. A very simple composition is important as well and a way of leading the viewer into the painting while creating an emotional response. He would tell me one must edit at all times to create a strong point of view and he would say “what you leave out is just as important if not more than what you put in”. This was a lesson it try to keep in mind every time i approach the canvas.
