Artist Statement

My art is inspired by my canoe explorations of the wilderness areas of south Florida. I often spend several days at a time in the Everglades exploring remote places seldom photographed. It is with a camera that I attempt to re-create the peaceful solitude that I experience in these places and believe so many people desire to feel. With an artistic vision framed by the camera, my goal is not to simply illustrate a picture of a bird or a mangrove tree; rather, I seek to provide the viewer a perspective he or she has never seen before. To that end, a successful image is one that best represents my wilderness experience and invites the viewer to observe more closely with a deeper appreciation for nature's art.

Biography

Growing up in rural upper Michigan, nature and wildlife were significant in my life as I often explored the wooded areas surrounding my home. In 1997, my academic career led me to Miami. I began exploring the wilderness areas of south Florida and experiencing their amazing wildlife by way of canoe. As the canoe was essential to my wilderness explorations, the camera soon followed. My eventual investment in cameras began as a way to record my wilderness trips, but soon grew into a passion that allowed my artistic side to develop. Since 2018, I left Miami to live in a 32-ft RV on Chokoloskee Island, in the heart of the Ten Thousand Islands of the Gulf of Mexico. Since then, I have expanded my photography to other places of nature throughout the United States as I take my home on the road several months at a time.