About the Artist - a little personal history

Growing up in the middle of five children on a nearly self-sufficient farmette in the shadow of the Shawangunk Mountains in New York State, I found ready resources for observing and building things. We had a cow, chickens and grew all our own vegetables.
			Making art, sneaking off to take some pictures, and designing things early became a part of my life career and, over the years, I have continued to explore these interests in a variety of ways.
	Chores were never far away and were defined by gender. Men and boys were the planters and harvesters, and the ladies did all the domestic work, canning various foods all summer long, cooking and cleaning many hours a day. My grandparents with whom we were in constant contact lived next door and were our only close neighbors. As a child I loved nature, was a keen observer of ideas, and often found myself with Grandma Denninger while she told stories and took care of her flowers.

I received an undergraduate degree from Rutgers in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's from Stanford in Product Design. During graduate school I worked as an aerospace engineer for the Navy. I then managed my father's manufacturing business for five years until I was able to start my own design and consulting firm, which included a studio and gallery in Sugar Loaf, NY. After several years of designing for a wide variety of fields, my desire to serve changed my career and brought me into the teaching profession. In the 1980's I taught at Bowling Green State University in OH and California State University at Sacramento. Since then I have designed for the exhibit, convention, retail and product industry as well as hands-on architectural design and renovation. Over the years I have continued to make art and have used many different materials and methods to communicate ideas.
	I have three children. Marette is an interior architect and musician who is married and living in Los Angeles, CA. Joy is a landscape architect who is married and living in Monterey, CA. David is attending college in Boston and loves international relations, music, writing, and outdoor adventure.

Motivation

A few decades ago I went to an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. What impressed me the most was what was missing - there was no joy. Everything was depressing, self centered and dark. After a while I turned and started watching the people. They were taking it all in and got heavier and more dreary with every step. It startled me and I thought, "I wonder what would happen if everything here was positive. Would it do the opposite? Would it inspire and lift mankind?" At that moment I decided that I would try out this premise and that is what I am attempting to do in my gallery.

Inspiration

Let me tell you about my discovery. One day I went for a walk in the forest. My mind was busy with what I thought was the rather depressing work I had to do that day. I looked around at the plants and saw the same ideas I was dealing with - plants competing for light and nutrition, vines strangling other plants as if to dominate them. Everything was screaming "me, me, me". Then I stopped, and asked a pioneering question "God, what do you see?" I walked alone quietly for a while, when all of a sudden I looked up and saw a completely different picture. Every leaf, flower, and blade of grass was individually saying "I" "I" "I", beaming with light and beauty. I saw no competition, but a kind of radiance emanating from everything. There was only one song and that song was good.

To my sense, art in its highest expression is a response, not a reaction, to the ideas and events one has experienced. This is my goal: to take each insight and respond to it in a way that encourages others to ponder it as I have.

Awards

Client List