I grew up on a river - the mighty Nunketesett (known by most as the “Town River”) in West Bridgewater, MA. So I guess it’s not surprising that no matter where I travel, I’m drawn to the waterways that have nurtured most major cities. The painting above is of my home town river as it passes under the stone arches of…wait for it….Arch St.

I remember my excitement when I first experienced the Mississippi - first in Minneapolis, then Memphis and finally New Orleans. Same river, much different personalities as it grows and empties into the Gulf. And, it took me three trips to even realize that Denver sits on the Platte because it’s so tucked away in the urban spread.

As a painter, rivers offer me a wide palette and assortment of action. From dark cerulean to golden ochre, peaceful trickle to manic rush, when I walk along a riverbank, I usually can find a setting that fits my frame of mind. There’s also the industrial aspect of some rivers that fits nicely into my love of early manufactory buildings. The Saco River in Maine presented itself to me as a tired blue collar laborer, meandering between the red brick on its way home to the Atlantic.

Running water, wandering thoughts…