I produce egg tempera paintings, pastels and scratchboard art. My method of painting is unique in that I do not follow the classical egg tempera procedures. Rather than layering small brush strokes with very fine sable brushes I use a variety of brushes from sable to synthetic to bristle. My brush action is more of a "pat" than a stroke, similar to "pointillism." In this way I can achieve soft edges and blending properties not easily achieved with the traditional methods. The resulting work yields the illuminating beauty for which temperas are known, but also has a glowing pastel-like quality.
My scratchboard is also unique in that it is the only art painting form that is subtractive and not additive. The black board is the medium and the artist scratches the art image into the board. The board consists of three layers; a masonite board, a layer of white clay coating the surface of the board, and a layer of black ink covering the white clay. Images are created by “scratching”with sharp etching tools such as knives, pins or even fiber glass brushes. I prefer the straight pin. My etchings reflect both the typical black and white format as as well as the use of colored india ink to enhance particular works. The completed work is treated with a fixative that protects the surface and allows the etching to be framed without glass.
Recent pastels combine scratchboard techniques with pastel paint. This combination is most unique in the world of art. To scratch that which is typically unscratchable is quite a challenge, but I have figured out a way to do just that and the results show paintings with the precision of scratchboard and the brilliant colors of pastels.
My background as an artist is nontraditional in that I am a Professor Emeritus of the Department of Communication Disorders at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. I served as Chairman of the department for 12 years and as an Adjunct Professor of Linguistics prior to my recent retirement. Since my retirement I have become an award winning artist whose work has been greatly inspired by the beauty of Martha's Vineyard. I have been represented by the Craven Gallery in West Tisbury, MA., L'Elegance and Dragonfly galleries in Oak Bluffs, MA, all on Martha’s Vineyard.
