My paintings typically begin with a walk in the woods, or by the river. That is my habitat. I feel most myself when my closest companion is the heron on the water’s edge or my sanctuary is a grove of old trees. I hold tight to what I’m feeling in those moments and carry that to my studio. These moments are captured on canvas, not through painting the scenery, but through painting how I felt in its presence. I hope, through my artwork, to convey interest and energy. Just as wildlife and nature are layered and complex, my paintings are created in a succession of layers. There is a history there, just as in the natural world. In my art practice, the most exciting driving force is not knowing how a painting will reach its conclusion, or even what it will look like when it’s done. Each painting morphs, sometimes drastically, as it goes along. Working through each ‘problem’ is energizing for me. It means my paintings take significantly longer to create, but the reward is worth the extra time and effort. I am fascinated by much. Shape, line, color, energy, emotion. I am stopped in my tracks by a tree’s meandering brances, the pelicans circling overhead, the land in all it’s different moods. These are the elements I hope come to life through the use of my own two hands in a painting.