My surroundings are threatened by development from the sprawling, growing Capitol city. I paint abandoned fields, dramatic summer skies, and farms. I paint them because they aren't going to be here in the future. In this part of Wisconsin, there is so much pressure on agriculture to develop that I am literally painting a passing landscape.

Artists are often inspired to paint by their surroundings. My landscape oil paintings are all done plein aire within a 10-mile radius of my farm.

People have a false nostalgia of farming and a rapacious view of the land. It's very sad that these scenes will not be here in the future.

I am an instructor in the Art Department at Madison Area Technical College and live on a farm 20 miles southwest of Madison with my family and pygmy goats.

B.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison
M.F.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison