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The poster for this show reads: the inspiration for this work began about 15 years ago. I started sketching and taking photos of cranes, trucks and earth moving vehicles. As an architect I had access to some construction sites but found I had a selection of views living in the Fort Point neighborhood.

However, the more complex history behind this work started much longer ago. I grew up 50 miles north of “The Motor City” (Detroit, MI). The first car I owned was a ’56 Lincoln. It was a tank on the outside and a living room on the inside. I loved driving it as well as my second car - a ‘66 Mustang. It wasn’t as roomy but it had a V8 under the hood. I liked the power.

Another childhood love was drawing and later painting. When I moved to Boston in my early 20’s I gave up my car and my paints to study architecture. Architecture became yet another love; this time of 3 dimensional space.

The road to becoming a registered architect is a long one. When I finally finished my thesis at the Boston Architectural Center (now College) I found something was missing; it was my painting. I realized I had to have it back in my life. So instead of taking night classes in architecture I started taking art classes, artist workshops and artist vacations (see resume).

One workshop (I took twice) at the Decordova with Ati Johansen (daughter of Walter Gropius). Her Bauhaus influenced exercises taught me to see and be able to mix all of the colors in-between the primary colors.
Meanwhile, as I became a more experienced architect I spent some time in the field and over the past 9 years observed 2 large structures being built into hillsides. The process is amazing! Big holes have to be dug, earth needs to be supported, steel is erected or concrete poured. It’s heavy physical stuff. And while I know that it’s the people in the field who get the work done – I believe, even they will admit they can’t do the work without their construction vehicles – cranes, trucks and earth movers. I like portraying these objects for others to see as I do.

I hope the viewer can feel the grit and earthiness of the building site; the strength of the machines at work or resting and get a sense of the beauty of seeing a structure progress from thoughts on paper to a skeleton with a body and skin.

The process of this show has helped me bring my loves together. I think I may want to operate one of these vehicles in my next life – meanwhile, I’ll keep painting them.