T he act of making art, I believe, is a very gratifying life-long learning pursuit. The continual challenge to perceive with a keen eye, and to improve and perfect one's craft opens doors to limitless discoveries. For me, it's this quest that makes painting so fascinating and fulfilling.

Audrey Forge (Kretschmer)

Tapping into the visual world has always been a creative stimulus for me. Sometimes people ask me, “How do you know what to paint?” It's difficult to explain what, why or how, but I can only say that when something out there resonates with me, then I know it's the right time and subject to paint. You might say a spiritual response occurs. Only then can I attempt to say something ‘worthwhile’.

Often, my inspiration to paint comes from my love of Cape Cod and the Islands, my familiar surroundings. Its special light and atmosphere have attracted artists for over a century. Indeed, Cape Light makes this landscape an ever-changing and abundant resource of picture-making material. Frequently, the subject of my painting is some elusive quality in Nature. It could be the color of an April morning mist or the shimmer of light on a pond, or the often-overlooked colors in the cast shadows on the dunes in the raking, afternoon light. Or, the subject may be compelling graphic shapes and the attitudes expressed in natural forms in the landscape. These are the kinds of subtleties or ‘jewels’ that tempt the artist's soul, and portraying them with sensitivity is my goal. Nature provides the poetry for a painting, I believe.

Some have called my work “romantic realism”, others “impressionistic realism”. But to categorize my work to a particular style is difficult for me to do, as I prefer to remain open to exploration and evolution. Presently, I would say my paintings express “personal representations of the natural world”, perhaps “romantic” and not quite “realistic”. Although I exaggerate color and experiment with compositional designs, I try to remain “true” to my subject to make my paintings “believable”. What matters to me is that people experience my paintings with a sense of joy and intimacy.

In summary, for me painting is not about ‘copying’ the person, place or thing. To capture the essence of the subject and to record the experience with a measure of passion is what painting’s all about. My job, as I see it, is to provide my viewer with a lyrical or poetic viewpoint of the visual world that will stimulate his capacity to see not only Nature’s splendor, but also beauty in the ordinary. If my paintings can remind people to stop for a moment and observe those wonders that are just there waiting for us to enjoy, well then, that’s a wonderful thing.

Blessings have been abundant for me, not the least of which is to have the great opportunity to pursue my artistic interests. In response to my deep sense of gratitude, I try to return the gifts in some way. Historically, this is part of every great artist's philosophy, ‘to give back'. So, each year I try to do something meaningful to extend myself to my community by contributing artworks to special charitable causes, or by volunteering professional services. For me, it's important to do and I derive great joy from it. What better purpose could my paintings serve?