For me painting is all about the magic of light and color — and the quest for happiness.

As I paint, I work consciously to build a vibrant connection to the subject of the painting through intensity of color and light. For portraits, I strive to connect the viewer with the personality or character of the subject. Similarly, when painting a cityscape, I seek to connect the viewer to a sense of place, human presence, and mood.

Whether painting en plein air or in the studio, I start each work with a freehand sketch using a small brush and thinned paint. Then I apply color with brush and palette knife in no particular order all around the canvas. Remaining unconstrained by strict perspective or subject fidelity frees me to incorporate abstract features that suggest themselves as the painting progresses.

This process is a little like walking a dark hall with only a candle to light the way — able only to see things as appear out of the darkness, I proceed without a clear, predetermined destination in mind from the beginning. Staying open to intrusions from my inner energy creates an idea-space where free play reins and the destination gradually reveals itself. It is in this space that I can discover the unique personality that lives in each painting.

The objects and artifacts of a painting mesmerize me: the sound of lapping waves, wind in the trees; the beauty and sensuousness of models; the narcotic effect of color. Wrapped in these things for these hours before the easel, roaming through the imagination and the infinite connections of light and color, I am free. I am at peace and I am happy.

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