The work in Surrounded by Water is a record of my first year living back in Portland, after eight years of visiting only in the summer. Moving back here gave me ample opportunity to explore and paint bad weather, high rivers and cloudy night skies. During the winter I was able to see familiar bridges from unfamiliar vantage points. As the seasons changed I made several studies of one location- a railroad bridge and flooded turnaround on Hayden Island Drive.

Several of the paintings and prints in this show were inspired by two group expeditions- a tour of four bridges made possible by Regional Arts and Culture Council and Atelier Meridian, and a tour of West Hayden Island led by the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. I choose specific locations in Portland largely for the way their formal visual qualities evoke a certain mood, but those places acquire new meanings when I learn their history, ecological significance or engineering details. Usually, I don’t find out about those things until long after a painting is finished. By taking the opportunity to tour parts of Portland usually closed to the public, I was able to see favorite subjects in a new way.