I focus on the significance of the relationship with the “self” expressed through the painting process and its interrelationships with the thoughts and emotions flowing through my mind. I explore this idea through my interaction with the medium and the art making process, which become the dominant drivers in my art. Each time I approach a painting, I begin without envisioning the finished product of the artwork. My emphasis is on the process of working non-objectively, and allowing my internal thoughts and emotions to take control. I work intuitively and abstractly, searching for a quality in my paintings that feels rooted, mystifying, and evocative of another time and place.

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Primarily I work with oils, in which the slow drying time allows me to gradually blend colors smoothly. Often, instead of using brushes, I prefer to use multiple shapes of palette knives to spread or scrape mounds of paint on the canvas – like icing a cake. As I paint, I blend the colors directly on the canvas. Even though I tend to paint in the moment, I usually have a general concept in mind prior to starting a painting or series of work. These concepts revolve around self-motivation, determination, triumph, dreams, and imagination. My use of color and texture direct these concepts into imaginary passages allowing the viewer to lose himself or herself within the painting.