I have been drawing and painting most of my life, but five years ago I took a palette knife workshop with a renowned artist from California who was teaching in Naples, Florida, my current home. I had always been attracted to the technique, all the texture and luminosity of the oil paint so I felt compelled to at least try this way of painting and embarked on my new adventure.
I immediately fell in love with painting with the palette knife. It felt so natural, like I was born to paint this way. Also, I realized that, unlike painting with a brush where I often found myself working in more detail than I intended, I was able to paint much more impressionistically as I had always aspired to do. Impressionism has always been my favorite style of painting, the soft romantic feel of an era gone by. Of all the impressionists Claude Monet has influenced my work the most, right down to the cool palette of colors including purple, green, gold, and white. These are the colors I seem to be drawn to the most and you will find at least a few of them in most of my work.
The teacher of the workshop suggested that I try my hand at teaching including the palette knife method. And, after a few years of prodding from friends and family, I finally decided to teach palette knife painting. I found that sharing what I love to do with others has enriched my life more than I would ever have imagined. I encourage my students to learn the technique of painting with the knife but also try to teach them how to create spiritually from within, a gift that will ultimately differentiate their work from that done by others.
I hope you will enjoy the landscapes I’ve created with the palette knife and will return often to see what’s new on my easel.