Artist Statement

My practice of painting and drawing is based on observation, a visual dialogue with people, places, and things. I have an interest in relationships; the relationship of myself to what I’m observing and how it connects to the painting itself. The painting reflects the presence of an image; a mysterious experience when looking at nature and all its abstractions. I think of my materials as ingredients. When pigment and oil mix together in a felt and direct way there is a chemistry taking place. I am the alchemist making the visual elements of painting convey unity in a surprising and magical way. Inspiration comes from an ongoing dialogue with paintings and master artists throughout the history of art-making. I place myself in the minds of the Greats, Morandi, Cezanne, and Matisse to name a few as I transcribe from their many masterpieces.