Artist Statement

I am emerging into the art world like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon. Nature guides the new butterfly into the unknown world with little or no expectation of rewards but it journeys on to enrich other lives wherever it lands. This journey for me has been an eye opener. I have come to realize emergence is a process and not an event. It started in 1988. Since then I have traveled the circuit of the art world. I must say life on the road is both good and not so good, but I don't regret the path I have chosen. The process of emergence will always be challenging with its ups and downs. I always look forward to its rewards.

        Over the years as I have traveled, I accumulated friends who’ve become family. Who else other than a family member can give one hundred percent support?

        I find joy in doing student art workshops. Kids are amazing artists. Give them ten minutes and they'll come out with amazing ideas that will blow you away! You cannot imagine how much you will learn from them by watching their artwork as it takes shape. I tell them we are here to learn from one another. This way both of us have an understanding of openness and freedom to put our artistic ability to the test, leaving the instructions to the teachers. All students are emerging artists, with lots of potential and curiosity. I hope only the best for them.

        I am a member of a non-profit group named Reunion of the Masters. The group is composed of prominent Native American and non-Native American artists. We work with the Southwest Indian Foundation of Gallup, New Mexico to promote Native American art and also to develop artistic talent among area students.

        My painting style is realistic, and is painted in the style of the Old Dutch Masters, with dark under painting, followed by layers of paint. I begin each canvas with heavy washes of dark colors, and slowly bring the figures forward out of that darkness. As the individuality of each portrait establishes itself, the mood, the background colors and the details fall into place. I use pastel chalks in this same manner.

        I have a long-term goal to expand my horizons and become an even better painter. My belief is that learning and growing should continue until one's last day. Pursuit of new art opportunities, adventures and exploration are part of my emergence and advancement in my life as both person and artist.

        Many of my paintings have been portraits of American Indians, Indian faces, ceremonial gatherings and scenes of the everyday life on a reservation. This intrigues me as much as any other subject I have painted. Not all American Indians live on reservations, however, the ones that do will tell you their way of life is not like it used to be. With that in mind if it isn't already too late, I believe that now is the time to start recording these native peoples’ art, artifacts and their stories so they can be preserved for the future generations to see for themselves what their ancestors may have looked like.

        I want to reach into other levels of the art world and explore opportunities that I may have rejected in the past. This means that I want to study my subject matter more in depth in terms of humanity, not just the subject's appearance. That journey is still ahead of me