I work primarily with three mediums: charcoal, oil, and pastel.  Each of these mediums has its own unique characteristics, and I've found that certain subjects lend themselves to the qualities of certain mediums, so subject matter can often influence my choice of working materials.  In the interest of the work's longevity, I use only archival materials that are known for their ability to withstand the test of time.

Drawings -
I do most of my drawings on white, 100% cotton paper that I tone either with layers of pastel or with a mixture of charcoal and conte crayon.  Each tone is completely unique, and provides a richer surface on which to work than white paper alone could offer.  The tone can be sprayed with fixative in order to prevent erasure, or can be left untreated to allow for a subtle erasing away of the tone as I work.  Whatever the case, the middle-range value of the tone allows me to work on it in two directions at once: adding dark marks with charcoal, while also creating bright areas by erasing the tone or by adding marks with white conte crayon.  This is a very effective technique, adding extra richness and depth to a drawing, especially because of its ability to quickly isolate bright areas through contrast against the darker tone that covers the entire surface of the paper.  My drawing tools include vine charcoal, charcoal pencils, and conte crayons (in various colors, including white).

Oils -
I produce all of my oil paintings on the finest quality linen canvas.  As with my drawing papers, I usually tone my canvas completely with some sort of neutral color before working.  To dilute my paint when necessary, I use only a home-made oil called "Black Oil."  Black Oil is made from ordinary linseed oil cooked at high temperature through a process requiring several hours, during which the oil undergoes a molecular change.  The resulting oil is dark in color, but quite transparent and free-flowing, a wonderful medium for diluting paint for greater ease of handling and for the application of thin glazes.  This centuries-old medium was rediscovered by Jacques Maroger, a curator at the Louvre during the early 1900's, and knowledge of it was passed along to me by my friend and fellow artist, Bill Rodgers - I extend my thanks to both of them for this gift.  Black Oil is the only medium that I ever add to my paint - I use no resinous mediums or any similar products due to their brittleness upon drying, which can subject the paint layers to an increased danger of cracking.

Pastels -
For my pastels, I work on black paper almost exclusively.  Since the pastels are absolutely opaque, the dark paper does not present a problem - rather, it allows the bright colors to be seen in all their glory in contrast against the black.  I find pastels to be especially useful for night scenes; however, I should point out that the paper is always completely covered in a finished pastel - the black areas in my night pictures are represented by black pastel, which is even darker than the black paper itself.  The black of the paper, then, is mainly of use during the creation of the work, and is eventually obscured by deep layers of color.
 
 

The creation of artwork outdoors, especially in wild areas far from any shelter, is no easy task.  Nevertheless, I manage to do much of my work on location, often in remote areas - I spend a huge amount of time outdoors, sometimes just roaming around in an attempt to soak in the atmosphere of a place.  Inclement weather is common, and rapid weather changes present a constant challenge for me while working outdoors. I never venture into any remote location without toting a huge umbrella; surprisingly, some of my best drawings have been done under the cover of this umbrella during drizzling rain - to do this, of course, I’m obliged to balance the umbrella in one hand while drawing with the other.

I’m sometimes out in the field for the entire day, so I don’t travel lightly. An enormous backpack carries all of my necessities, including food, water, and art materials.  Since the temperature can change very rapidly in Maui's "Upcountry" areas, from high heat in the sun to shivering cold under heavy clouds, I always make sure to take along some extra articles of warm clothing.  A portable, folding easel allows me to secure my work while painting, and a small camping stool allows me to sit down while I work (always a relief after a long walk through steep terrain).

By far, the greatest difficulty of outdoor painting is the issue of safely transporting the artwork from one place to another.  Wet paintings and fragile drawings are very delicate objects to carry around.  They must be protected from wind and rain, and from all contact with tree branches and airborne debris.  To solve this problem, I constructed wooden cases in which to secure my pictures - one is designed for works on paper, and the other is for canvas. The boxes secure my work within an empty interior space, where nothing can touch the surface of the work.  My backpack attaches to either box, which conveniently serves as a frame for the unwieldy pack.  The entire arrangement weighs a great deal when fully loaded, but adjustable straps and thick padding allow me to carry it all on my back with reasonable comfort.

Although I prefer to work from life whenever possible, many of my subjects are so remote or of such difficult access that the creation of a painting on location is flatly impossible, or simply so impractical that I could never finish the work in a reasonable period of time if I were to insist on travelling to the site again and again.  In such cases, I do resort to the use of high-resolution digital photos, which provide large images with great detail.  I always use multiple photos of each subject, including close-ups of critical areas, in order to capture all of the visual information that I’ll need.  For the truest capture of color, however, nothing can replace direct observation from nature - whenever possible, I try to supplement my photo-based paintings with smaller, full-color sketches done on location for reference in the studio.