My landscape paintings have been described as "places you've never seen before but you've been there". I love trees and skies and I'm awestruck by their beauty every day. The external world inspires me and I translate it into a visual expression of the world inside me. When I paint, I draw from my emotions. My trees are like self-portraits and through them I express feelings of both angst and hope. It is my belief that no matter how dark things get there is always light, and I am intrigued by this balance in the world both physically and spiritually. This contrast is always conveyed in my work, even without conscious intent.

In my quest to express myself, the Impressionists are my biggest influence, especially their color theories and textures. I love color and apply layer upon layer of paint using strategic color combinations to achieve a luminous quality. After much frustration with my brushwork, I abandoned paintbrushes many years ago in favor of palette knives. They feel so much more natural to me. Music is also a powerful influence and I have to listen to it while I work. It transports me directly to that inner place from where I paint. I'm moved by great lyrics and will often borrow phrases from them for my painting titles.