Painting is all about paying attention and being present in the moment. When I paint, I’m looking intensely at what’s before me – not only as an artist, trying to see color, light, and form, but as a scientist, trying to understand the underlying structure of the figure, flower, or scene before me. Only painting compels me to this level of focus. It makes me feel alive and centered in the world: complete immersion. For this reason, I’m drawn to a couple of the more esoteric forms of painting besides oil painting: egg tempera and encaustic. Each one is difficult and requires learning new techniques and approaches to painting. Old habits don’t work anymore, and the challenges require one to adapt, to be curious, to be committed to learning and experimentation, and to concentrate and hone in.

Conceptually, I’d say that all of my paintings revolve around the feeling of awe and mystery; of feeling small in the face of this overwhelmingly beautiful world. To feel small is to be humble and to realize where we stand in terms of a larger perspective of life and attitude.

“The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable.” – Robert Henri