Artist’s Statement

My artistic talent was clear at age three when I sketched everyone who came to my home. My independent spirit and deep love of the arts inspired me to leave home at an early age to begin my own inner search for the truth. An Eastern European heritage and fascination with world culture led to a life of travel and adventure that began in my teens. Although I searched for knowledge from many masters, I found my best teacher to be myself – I lived for art, the passion of my life.

My paintings and drawings depict the Indigenous Peoples of the World, and a life of wandering has filled me with awe at the inner beauty of people. I found the most authentic way to represent them in my art was to live with, and learn from them.

My desire to seek and paint the truth led me to the Tohono O’odham Nation in Southern Arizona where I lived for eight years. I discovered a People whose shyness is overcome by their humor, whose gracefulness shows in their dances and whose hearts are warm and accepting. Seeing within and beyond became even more important to me during the eight years I lived among the Desert People, and it was there that I learned the true meaning of silence.

Summer in the desert made painting difficult so I escaped to Alaska where I found equally fascinating people. My experiences during these summers convinced me that I needed to spend more time with the Inuit so I braved two winters in a frozen, breathtaking environment. The greatest compliment about my art came from an elderly Inuit woman, “You paint us like we are, not like white people usually paint us”.

The Inuit are warm and humorous in spite of the cold, and I captured these qualities in my Alaska works. These works were very popular with the tourists and caught the attention of a Japanese writer who invited me to Japan to meet the Ainu, the vanishing natives of Hokkaido, North Japan.

My travels also include several trips to India, Bali, and Mexico. In Rajasthan, India, I met Nomads, Gypsies, Sadhus and Holy Masters. My current works also include colorful dancers, musicians, mystical village scenes and cremations, a very important celebration for Indonesian and Indian people. Some of my most treasured paintings are from this period.”

Summary

I love being an artist. In life as in art I am responsive to feelings, they take me beyond, to the very essence of the people I paint.