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"War is one of humanity's most defining experiences. Through the ages, we have spent much of our time and focus on events on the battlefield. Today, movies show the chaos, violence, and confusion of combat. News reporters dash in and out of war zones, giving us 30-second snippets before cutting to a commercial. In our fast-paced world, we don't pay attention to anything unless it's equally fast-paced.
During my two decades in the Navy, I found that the quiet things are just as important as the combat itself. A street lined with destroyed buildings speaks silently of not only the violence that took place, but also of lives and dreams shattered. A child playing soccer outside his shell-damaged apartment building evokes the hope that one day things will return to normal. And a soldier may see his marriage crumble under the stresses of long separation and very different experiences.
These paintings examine some of my own experiences with combat and military life. Some are based on things I saw in Bosnia as part of the peacekeeping forces. Some are based on experiences leading sailors at sea. Others are based on events in my own personal life. And still others are sardonic reflections on our society's idea of war."
- Several of these paintings were featured in the article "The Art of War" in the Asheville Citizen-Times on January 21, 2007. A show of these works was reviewed in "Polemics and Meditations" in the Mountain Xpress newspaper on October 17, 2007.
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