I am someone who is deeply moved by the beauty and sensuality of nature - its colors, textures, smells, sounds, and changing moods and weather. The feelings of awe and wonder that comes with spending time outdoors have colored my life and my art. I've been especially inspired by the sense of Connection and Oneness that come with solitude in nature. That special experience of being alone yet not actually feeling alone. Nature is a mirror that reminds me that I am not separate from it, but rather part of it, just as it is part of all of us. The feeling of Connection to nature is also a connection to Self. My love for nature and my desire to paint are inseparable. Painting is a thread that connects me to the emotions and memories of being in nature and to those feelings of Connection and Oneness. Through painting, I can be transported back to my experiences with land, water, and sky. I can share my emotional impressions with others through my own sensitive use of color, composition, layers, form, texture, and light. For me, it's never just about how a place looks. It's about the emotions I felt in response to a specific place. This is part of why I choose to create pure abstracts and abstract landscapes instead of working with realism. Abstraction allows me the freedom to interpret and translate. Working in layers has been a constant in my process. Seeking to create depth, nuance, and mystery in my work, I use translucent and transparent pigments and paints mixed with cold wax medium, to transform, but not completely cover, any layer that I'm working on. With most layers, I also partially remove the paint I've added to expose specific areas and show what's underneath. I do this by using solvent to dissolve away parts of a paint layer, or by using other subtractive techniques. All this builds a rich surface and history over time. I relish seeing what happens as one thing affects another, sometimes in surprising ways. My primary focus lies in cold wax painting, a captivating medium that bridges the gap between oil painting and encaustic techniques. Infusing oil paint with cold wax introduces a captivating interplay of translucency, texture, and distinctive properties inherent to this versatile medium. Sometimes, I incorporate various organic materials such as sand, volcanic ash, marble dust, and dry pigments to further enrich the expressive potential of my creations. I strive to create art that stirs feelings of stillness, grounding, serenity, renewal, or even recharge and uplift. The range of emotions and effects that I experience outdoors. Nature and art are both transformative and can create shifts in mood, outlook, and consciousness. Exploring this is one of the greatest joys and pleasures for me, both as a nature lover and artist.