2000-2007

As our cultures become more homogenized by mass media and consumerism, the
one element that remains true to a region is its nature. Although we try to
manipulate it to fit our needs, the landscape and the biological inhabitants
characterize a region’s nature. It has been an omnipresent influence that
has affected a region’s people and the culture. The
knowledge describing a region’s distinguishing natural elements is being
lost as generations become continually disconnected from a lifestyle that
relies on the landscape for survival.

“Biological Regionalism” is a series of paintings that identifies the
landscape and the fish that is distinctive to a region. As the series
continues, I envision the project creating indigenous symbols of a culture.

 For the past 15 years, I have lived in Western New York and have worked on
several series of paintings that investigated Cuban and American
culture. Several years ago, I began reading about local history and
began researching local entomology, biological cycles of regional salmonids
(trout) and the role of local rivers on culture. As I acquired more
information about the region, I found myself being seduced by the angling
art of  Henry Inman, Thomas Doughty, Winslow Homer and Thomas Cole; the fish
still lifes of Gustave Courbet, William Chase and Emil Carlsen ; the
landscape work of Martin Heade Johnson, Jose Maria Valesco and the early
work of Alexis Rockman. The devotional painting approach that I incorporated
in my earlier series has continued through to the present
series. While the past work concentrated on issues relating to art history
and elements of Cuban/American culture, the recent work continues the focus
on art history while incorporating biological regionalism.

Series consists of 71 paintings and 42 watercolors - ongoing.
2000-2007

As our cultures become more homogenized by mass media and consumerism, the
one element that remains true to a region is its nature. Although we try to
manipulate it to fit our needs, the landscape and the biological inhabitants
characterize a region’s nature. It has been an omnipresent influence that
has affected a region’s people and the culture. The
knowledge describing a region’s distinguishing natural elements is being
lost as generations become continually disconnected from a lifestyle that
relies on the landscape for survival.

“Biological Regionalism” is a series of paintings that identifies the
landscape and the fish that is distinctive to a region. As the series
continues, I envision the project creating indigenous symbols of a culture.

 For the past 15 years, I have lived in Western New York and have worked on
several series of paintings that investigated Cuban and American
culture. Several years ago, I began reading about local history and
began researching local entomology, biological cycles of regional salmonids
(trout) and the role of local rivers on culture. As I acquired more
information about the region, I found myself being seduced by the angling
art of  Henry Inman, Thomas Doughty, Winslow Homer and Thomas Cole; the fish
still lifes of Gustave Courbet, William Chase and Emil Carlsen ; the
landscape work of Martin Heade Johnson, Jose Maria Valesco and the early
work of Alexis Rockman. The devotional painting approach that I incorporated
in my earlier series has continued through to the present
series. While the past work concentrated on issues relating to art history
and elements of Cuban/American culture, the recent work continues the focus
on art history while incorporating biological regionalism.

Series consists of 71 paintings and 42 watercolors - ongoing.