ARTIST'S STATEMENT

It has been said that our contemporary society desires not so much more and better of everything but a reconnection with spiritual truths. In studying and working with the imagery of the various peoples who comprise the Pennsylvania Dutch I have discovered that their commitment to the earth and to God has left for us a profound legacy. Not unlike Native Americans, these people knew spiritual life as an on-going,daily experience. There are differences, of course, as the Early American pietists were much more focused on an imminent celestial community on earth governed by Christ returned than were the Native Americans. The basis for their artistic imagery - which included even the most humble of utilitarian objects - and for their hymnals was always scripture.

 entirely absent from their artwork, is an element natural to my own perception of the world, so inevitably it finds its place. I have downplayed the profuse calligraphy found in many "taufschein" (birth and baptismal certificates) and "vorschrift" (scriptural or hymnal texts) in order to let the images speak more fully. It should also be noted that there were not one but many styles employed by the Pennsylvania Dutch. As such, I feel my own natural style fits comfortably into their panoply of styles. More important is my spiritual connection with these people which transcends the tremendous changes in American life that have occured over the past two hundred years.

With tremendous respect and admiration for these ancestors of ours, I have brought the flavor and essence of their imagery into a more contemporary depiction. It has been and continues to be my goal to form a synthesis; let the images of old speak in new times. My use of color is broader and the drawing and layout are slightly more modern in style. The use of humor and whimsy, while not

Gallery.

 About the Artist
Four Seasons
St Francis of Assisi Prayer
Labryrinth