Artist's Statement

    My education consists of a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 1970. As a student of Architecture, part of my degree work comprised eight courses in the visual arts, with heavy concentration in free hand drawing, and watercolor. 

    I must admit that, until January 1994, I had very little involvement with the visual arts, other than the renderings of my architectural designs, since my graduation from college. It was then that I became inspired to create art, for the pure expression of ideas in visual forms. I drew my inspiration from the writings and history of the Bahá'í Faith, the newest of the World's Religions, which teaches oneness of God, the elimination of prejudice, the unity of mankind, and the equality of women and men. 

    Initially working in watercolor, I created pieces that attempted to invoke a mystical quality, which were largely interpretations of the Writings of the Faith, including those of Bahá'u'lláh, the Prophet Founder. I have since worked in pencil, charcoal, acrylics, and been extensively involved in print making, both lithography and etching. 

    Since July 1995, the exhibit of art that is pictured in this website, along with the accompanying quotations, has been on display publicly in fourteen different venues, for thirty days or more, in communities in Central Illinois and Missouri. It is hard to estimate how many have viewed these pieces, for the exhibit has been seen in public libraries, coffee houses, art galleries, university student centers, medical centers, Bahá'í Centers, and even a store front window, since that time. The number has to exceed thousands. 

    The exhibit was first known as ‘Visual Impressions of the Bahá'í Faith' and included about twenty pieces. In January 1998 the name was changed to ‘The Garden of Humanity' and featured several new pieces that concentrated on the Bahá'í theme of the Oneness of Mankind. 

    Each public showing has been unique to itself, and the personal rewards to me, as the artist, have been many. There can be no greater confirmation given to an artist than to know that the message contained in his or her work is being communicated with the viewer. This is evidenced by the fact that the literature for public taking always needs to be replenished during the run of the show, and that seekers have come to the multi-media presentation (a slide show of the art with the readings accompanied by improvised background music), after first viewing the exhibit. In one particular instance, a student was noticed copying the quotations of the writings in a note book while viewing the pieces. In another instance, an African American student organization requested the exhibit for a special show during Black History Month, after it had been viewed by its members at another venue.

    What has become very apparent to me, is that there can be established a very wonderful, and yet very mysterious bond between the piece of art and the viewer. Visual art as a form of communication has the inherent capacity to touch souls, as does music, poetry, literature and drama. The main difference is that it is stationary, and not temporal, for a person can view the piece for an eternity, and not just take it in for a brief time, and then have to have it replayed, or attend another performance. This was evident in one of the showings where a reception was held, and one particular individual returned several times to revisit one particular piece of my exhibit. It is gratifying to know that the art you have created is indeed communicating.

    It must be remembered that the pieces shown in this exhibit are only one artist's attempts at the translation of "Creative" and "Written" Words into visual forms. The writings of the Faith, revealed by its Central Figures, are literally teeming with metaphors. There are as many visual interpretations of these Writings as there are artists to interpret them.

    The past few years have been an exciting, and rewarding time for me, whose main objective by this effort has been to spread the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith utilizing this form of communication. Hopefully this journey will continue for many more years, with new creations and artistic directions explored. It is also my sincere wish that many more images will be successfully visualized and put to form as art on canvass and paper as I continue this work.