I’ve always been a daydreamer, critical thinker, observer, analyzer, and I’ve been drawn to observe the details in everything. I’m always looking at contrasts, shadows, textures, and colors. That’s what has led me on my life-long love of art, doodling, drawing, painting, and creating.

I make art because I love the time to myself, listening to music, burning a candle, and letting my imagination pour out onto paper and canvas. Solitude is a gift that I cherish and it brings out my best creative self. My painting subjects and mediums have changed over the years and I’ve found that I’m happiest painting in textured mixed media.

I get my inspiration from everything in nature—rocks, leaves, trees, water… I take countless pictures of broad scenery and little details on my walks and throughout the day as reference photos for possible paintings. I pause movies or shows and take pictures of the screen when there’s something that catches my eye. Cinematography has some of the most breathtaking imagery with interesting perspectives. Whenever I see something interesting, I snap a picture—the shadows of flowers on a window shade, the cracks in a sidewalk… I’m learning to also capture these moments in my mind so when I sit down to make art, I’m inspired by the memories, the feelings, and the impressions.

I’ve always been inspired by nature’s colors, shapes, and textures. I’ve been making literal/realistic art for most of my life, but I’m most excited about my art when it’s abstract or semi-abstract, intuitive, loose, and based on a notion of a scene or subject rather than the actual scene or subject itself.

Most of all, I make art because it simply makes me feel good.