"Wherever you are, at any moment, try and find something beautiful. A face, a line out of a poem, the clouds out of a window, some graffiti, a wind farm. Beauty cleans the mind." author,Matt Haig

When I was in second grade, my teacher informed my mother that she believed I didn't see well. At that age, how would I know? My teacher was correct. I'll never forget the ride home with my new glasses on, sitting in the back seat, leaning my head out the window, staring up at the trees moving past. I vividly remember seeing, clearly seeing, the leaves on the trees, and I was enchanted.

This is what drives me to paint. When walking through the landscape, the sensory input permeates and soothes my soul. When painting figures and portraits, there is a seemingly magical unraveling. I am at once intrigued by this person, while respectfully discovering the nuances that shape their physical image and reveal hints of their spirit. With still life, when I glance across a room and see a bowl of pears, or a vase of pink wild roses, some petals lying close on the table as the sun moves across their shapes, it can stop me in my tracks. The relationship between the organic and material forms as the light dances over them gives off a quiet, yet dynamic energy. Currently I feel myself pulled in two distinct directions. One, to composing abstract images of landscapes or cityscapes, graphic compilations that afford me an opportunity to "play" with colors and shapes, relying solely on instinct to create a dynamic image. My other focus now is on painting figures and portraits. It feels distinctly visceral to find the shapes in the human form and to create the textures that bring the image to life, so to speak. My compositions are zoomed in, crowding the figure within the canvas, encouraging a close encounter. Throughout my life, shapes and textures and how light moves over, between, above and below, simply beckons me to take note. I'm drawn to paint the image, tell the story, and make myself one with it.