What is your medium now? (oils, acrylic, pastel, watercolor...) What medium have you always wanted to use, but haven't yet? What mediums have you used in the past? Why do you prefer your current medium?

I currently switch often between watercolor and oil, but I also work in acrylic. I enjoy both mediums for different reasons. The spontaneity and unpredictability of watercolor is exciting. Even though I've been working in watercolor for over 30 years, there are always surprises. Pastel is a medium I'd like to try.

Do you do preliminary sketches before painting your subject? In a sketchbook? Or directly on the canvas or paper? Why?

My studio prep work can be laborious, working out compositions with computer printouts, sketches on tracing paper and acetate. Then I create a final line drawing that is transferred to the board or paper depending on what medium I'm working in: graphite paper to transfer to the watercolor paper; pastel rubbed on the back of the drawing to transfer to a primed board. For oil landscape work I sketch with a pastel pencil. The surface of watercolor paper is fragile so I don't like to draw and erase on it. The oils from your hands and the erasure marks can create uneven washes.

When working outdoors, thumbnail value sketches are the best and using a viewfinder helps eliminate distracting information.

What colors are on your palette? Why?

Cremnitz white, cadmium yellow light, yellow ochre, cadmium red light, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, thalo blue, burnt sienna, burnt umber, raw umber, black. These are the basic colors I use. Sometimes I'll add a color I can't mix like a quinacridone color or cobalt blue or cerulean blue. I mix all my greens but I just bought a tube of thalo green to give that a try.

Do you prefer wood, glass or paper for your palette surface? Why?

For oils: wood. That's what I learned on, I'm used to it, and it's a nice neutral color. For watercolor: enamel trays. The color doesn't bead up like it does on plastic or stain like plastic does. I can see the color on the bright white surface.

How do you feel about critiques? Feedback? Or do you prefer to problem solve on your own? What are the three most important things you look for when critiquing a painting? Why?

Critiques are so helpful. When I've worked on a painting for hours, days, months, sometimes I have trouble looking at it objectively if I've been at it for too long. At that point I either need to put it away for a few days to see it with a fresh eye, or even then, it's nice for other eyes to have a look at it. Others notice things I might not have.

When critiquing a painting I look for (1) Good Composition - Does the eye travel effectively through the painting? Are the basic elements of design there?; (2) Technique and Skill with the Medium - Does the artist exhibit confidence and mastery of the medium?; (3) Value - Is there a good range of values?

Have you ever had a breakthrough moment that made you change how and why you do your art? What was it? How has your art changed over time?

Changing my business from primarily graphic design as my living to fine art was a breakthrough. I've been a productive fine artist forever, but not to the degree I now am. I used to be afraid that if fine art was my primary business, it wouldn't be fun anymore; it would just be another "job" with a deadline. I just needed to get to a point in my life where I knew that wasn't the case. It's not an easy living, but it's working. I still have graphics clients and teach private fine art classes, but I paint more than ever.

What do you think creates artistic blocks? How do you solve them?

Artistic blocks happen for me when I'm not enjoying what I'm working on. Some commissions are pure joy. Others can be tedious and difficult, but they can also be the most rewarding. Finding subject matter to paint is never a problem - I have a list a mile long of paintings waiting to be done.

Do you support yourself from your art? Or do you have another job? Or are you retired? How does this affect your time to paint?

Since 1982 I've supported myself from my art. I started my graphics company in 1983 and performed graphic design and illustration work and commissioned paintings. As time moved forward I began teaching fine art classes to kids, teens and adults privately and continue to do so. I now paint a lot, though never as much as I'd like. During the year I do numerous weekend art shows in addition to entering juried shows.

How do you measure your personal progress as an artist? (I am not referring to sales or shows.)

My goal has always been to challenge myself and learn as much as possible. It helps me to grow as an artist and teacher. There's so much to learn! With landscape I enjoy studying light and how it changes during the day and how atmosphere changes the landscape. When I go out on a limb and take on something new and feel I've learned something from the painting process and done a decent job at it, only then do I feel I've made progress. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about it.

In light of the current world climate, what do you feel is the role of the artist? (For instance, do landscape painters have a responsibility to record nature before it's developed?

During the last several years I've concentrated more on landscape than any other subject matter. I grew up in Ellicott City. It was literally swallowed up by Columbia. Nine years ago we moved to the western part of Howard County, back to a rural setting. The sprawl is coming, but I'm painting as much as I can to record the landscape before it's all gone. It makes me very sad.