The motivation to create emerges when absorbed in observation and visual analysis. I am captivated by light touching a surface, the nuances of a shadow, interplays of color, and other complex facets of our visual world. My paintings are compilations of several photo references, Plein Air studies, memory, and imagination. I collect images of the things that make me stop and envelop me in visual excitement. This could be the mountains' depth, the sunrise's radiance, a tree in the parking lot, or a rock with just the right shape. Those images become compositions that are real and recognizable. They connect us to familiar emotions we experience in viewing the spectacular or even the mundane facets of this place that is home.

Most of my work is dedicated to realism, but I continuously explore new directions, focusing on the balance of disparity and analogy between realism and abstraction. I first paint the image realistically, responding to the moment of light and atmosphere, creating a tangible feeling of that space and time. Then, I paint the abstracted versions, drawing out the essential hues and eliciting diverse interpretations and emotions in contrast to the realistic equivalent.