River Work Statement:
Much of my work is inspired by the Kansas River, the longest prairie-based river system in the world. It winds its way east from Junction City, Kansas, to Kansas City where it joins the Missouri River 173 miles downstream. Around River Mile 54 it passes through my home of Lawrence, Kansas.
I moved to Lawrence in 1996 and began seeking riverside painting spots, which were scarce. My first paintings of the Kansas River were painted from along the Scenic River Road that winds west toward Lecompton, Kansas. Around 1998 I had the opportunity to fly with a pilot friend and we passed over the Kaw, as the Kansas River is affectionately known, to the east of Lawrence and it made an indelible impression. Several years later I got another glimpse of the river from a commercial flight over Lawrence and it fueled my curiosity about this waterway that is all but invisible from the ground. I began exploring the river bike/hike trails and joined Friends of the Kaw, the local river advocacy nonprofit, on some floats and got a kayak, which opened up a whole new world to me.
In 2004 I opened my first show of Kansas River work at the Lawrence Arts Center and it was wide-ranging and experimental–it included oils, printmaking, and watercolors. I’ve had nearly a dozen shows of river work since and it comprises half of my work. More recently I’ve been working from drone footage and am continually impressed by the river’s transformations. The river has allowed me to experience this place from various perspectives–from it’s shores, sandbars, and riparian trails, from my kayak, and from small planes and my drone. It continuously lures me into a process of discovery and adventure.