In my mid-fifties, I embarked on an unexpected journey into the realm of art, finding solace and fulfillment with acrylic paints and geometric forms. My canvas became a sanctuary where I could generate order and beauty during a time when my life lacked much of either.  I am a physician who provides care for children with cancer and blood diseases and a scientist who does cancer research.  My “day job” has many ups and downs, and it is difficult to disengage completely when I leave work.  In my years of being a physician scientist, I have found that the key to avoiding burnout is to be a well-balanced person, and this is what painting does for me.  Painting is relaxing and meditative.  It gives me focus, and I get enormous satisfaction from having an idea for a painting and seeing it develop gradually as I add new colors and textures.  My style is geometric and modern, with vibrant colors and patterns chosen to match the inspiration for the particular piece I am working on. I use basic geometric tools – rulers, compasses, protractors and a pencil - to lay down a geometric grid, then add colors in ways that I think makes sense.  As the piece progresses one color at a time, I reevaluate and determine if it needs more dark, more light, more metallics, more impasto, etc.  Because they dry relatively quickly and respect boundaries outlined by painter’s tape to give crisp edges, acrylics are the perfect medium to use for my geometric compositions.   Through the interplay of lines, angles, and patterns, I strive to capture the elusive balance between simplicity and complexity.  

My introduction into painting coincided with a particularly stressful situation at work.  I needed something to distract me, and I found painting to be relaxing and meditative.  Vincent Van Gogh once said "art is to console those who are broken by life", and I found painting to do this for me.  I have never considered myself an “artist,” but I have always had a deep love and appreciation for creativity in many forms - music, painting, sculpture, drama…  I had long been a “doodler” rather than a sketcher, so I adapted that style to painting, finding a natural home in the world of geometric art.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, when I was encouraged to work from home, I found I had more time for painting. I got up early each day, did a little painting, and then stole a few minutes here and there in between meetings and work to keep at it.  Even with the end of the pandemic, I still get up early and paint for an hour or two before going to work.  More than anything else, painting has been a great way to connect with my family and friends.  For me, painting is a passion that helps keep me balanced.