Meet the Artist

I spent over three decades teaching philosophy at the university level.

My work focused on a wide range of subjects: ancient Greek and medieval thought, Eastern philosophies, women philosophers, animal ethics, and the philosophy of art. Throughout those years, I was always deeply engaged in exploring ideas about meaning, beauty, and the inner life.

Turning Point

In 2005, during a sabbatical dedicated to philosophical research, something unexpected happened. I began to “see” vibrant, abstract images in my mind — layered, shifting impressions that seemed to stack up, waiting to be let out. That experience marked a turning point. I picked up a brush and began painting, without formal training, driven by instinct and curiosity.

Artistic Journey

I started working with acrylic on large canvases, letting the forms and colors lead me. Over time, I found my voice as an abstract expressionist artist. My background in philosophy continues to shape my approach to painting — it’s another way of thinking, reflecting, and searching.

Inspiration

My work is inspired by quiet moments in nature, spiritual interiority, and the ongoing process of becoming. I’m drawn to the emotional energy of 20th-century abstract expressionists like Wassily Kandinsky and Robert Motherwell, and to the reflective depth of 19th-century New England Transcendentalists like Henry David Thoreau. I also feel a deep connection to early modernist and abstract artists such as Sonia Delaunay, Joan Miró, Arshile Gorky, Paul Klee, and Jules Olitski.

Philosophy in Color

For me, painting is a form of living philosophy. It’s a space where emotion, intuition, and thought come together — where ideas can be felt as well as seen.

“To be an artist is not a matter of making paintings or objects at all. What we are really dealing with is our state of consciousness and the shape of our perceptions.”

Robert Irwin

American Installation Artist
1928-2023