Every time I go into my studio, I enter a “zone,” filled with excitement, exploration of new ideas, feelings, and intuitiveness.  I decide what subject, paints, textures and colors I’m going to use.  I ask Alexa to turn on my music choice for the day and then I start painting.  I have a general idea of what I want to convey and then the journey begins.  Sometimes many layers of paint are involved and much introspection, perhaps over weeks or months.  Sometimes as with pastels and inks, I may finish a painting in one day.

Most of the time my work is intuitive and inspired by the music I’m listening to.  I’m often inspired by subjects in nature and I will begin a painting by using unexpected color, shapes, and/or texture.  I use my own photo references, sketch, make marks, and if using acrylics building up the painting using layers of paint and collage material.  A lot of my work is meant to inspire new ways of looking at and experiencing wonder.  

By the time a painting is finished, it rarely looks like I first envisioned it.  At the end of the process I have learned more about the subject and myself, and have the satisfaction of expressing what was internal to an uniquely external work of art.

Never far from my past 30 years work as a mental health professional I remain fascinated by all kinds of people, places, and ideas.  I’ve lived abroad and I have traveled through most of the U.S.  From living in England and Thailand, to traveling to Israel, Hungary, or China, I’ve had the opportunity to meet the most interesting people and see the wonders of the world.  

I was raised near the ocean and am always happiest near the water.  I’ve spent many memorable moments with family and friends in the surf, boogie boarding, walking the beach or just sitting under the umbrella watching the waves.  I also like to kayak, bike, and hike.

My favorite times are when I’m with my family and friends!