About Me
Orange Dragonfly
& My Dad
I AM a Contemporary Realist who paints large-scale, colorful works that include many subjects of Nature & Landscapes. Most of my ART focuses on Vanishing Marshes and Coastal Landscapes. All of my work is inspired from reference material, memory and intuition. The materials I use are Oil on canvas, clay panel board and Pen & Ink Washes on watercolor paper.
I have always been fascinated with the Dragonfly' symbolic nature -- how they transform into two bodies and inhabit two realms -- water and air.
The Native Americans believe the Dragonfly totem guides one through the mists of illusion to the pathway of transformation. In Japanese culture they represent joy and new light. Their body is designed with special facets that reflect and refract beautiful colors of the sun - the bright colors take time to develop, expressing the idea that with maturity our own true colors come forth.
With that said, my journey to the Dragonfly is a very personal one. It began in February of 2008 when I had an unusual dream about an Orange Dragonfly dancing through the air by twisting, turning and hovering above a body of water. The dream was so mysterious that I felt an overwhelming need to paint it. I suppose it was a natural evolution as a Landscape Artist to be compelled to paint this creature considering that most of my work centers around Wetlands and Coastal landscapes. After days of obsessing over the meaning of my dream, I spoke to an artist friend who encouraged me to follow my instincts and explore something "NEW". I followed his advice and immersed myself in folklore and images of the dragonfly. After two short weeks of researching this new subject, my mother called to inform me that my father had a massive stroke and to come home immediately. Sadly, one week later with family by his side, my father passed away. I was completely devastated.
A few days after I returned home, I decided to go to the gym to release some stress. I parked my car next to a snow bank and turned my engine off. As I grabbed my key, I looked outside the window and to my surprise was an Orange Dragonfly hovering directly in front of me. We were face to face and I sat mesmerized wondering what a dragonfly was doing in a parking lot in the middle of winter. We stared at each other for 10 minutes before I realized the Dragonfly was my Father. He represented the brightness of transformation and the wonder of a colorful new vision. This was a defining moment in my life and started my path to healing.
I have always been fascinated with the Dragonfly' symbolic nature -- how they transform into two bodies and inhabit two realms -- water and air.
The Native Americans believe the Dragonfly totem guides one through the mists of illusion to the pathway of transformation. In Japanese culture they represent joy and new light. Their body is designed with special facets that reflect and refract beautiful colors of the sun - the bright colors take time to develop, expressing the idea that with maturity our own true colors come forth.
With that said, my journey to the Dragonfly is a very personal one. It began in February of 2008 when I had an unusual dream about an Orange Dragonfly dancing through the air by twisting, turning and hovering above a body of water. The dream was so mysterious that I felt an overwhelming need to paint it. I suppose it was a natural evolution as a Landscape Artist to be compelled to paint this creature considering that most of my work centers around Wetlands and Coastal landscapes. After days of obsessing over the meaning of my dream, I spoke to an artist friend who encouraged me to follow my instincts and explore something "NEW". I followed his advice and immersed myself in folklore and images of the dragonfly. After two short weeks of researching this new subject, my mother called to inform me that my father had a massive stroke and to come home immediately. Sadly, one week later with family by his side, my father passed away. I was completely devastated.
A few days after I returned home, I decided to go to the gym to release some stress. I parked my car next to a snow bank and turned my engine off. As I grabbed my key, I looked outside the window and to my surprise was an Orange Dragonfly hovering directly in front of me. We were face to face and I sat mesmerized wondering what a dragonfly was doing in a parking lot in the middle of winter. We stared at each other for 10 minutes before I realized the Dragonfly was my Father. He represented the brightness of transformation and the wonder of a colorful new vision. This was a defining moment in my life and started my path to healing.