I live in Collinsville CT where I was born. My passion for art began in 10th grade when I took my first art class. I’m currently getting my BFA in Painting at the University of Hartford. I am greatly influenced by the art community around me and the history of New England. I’m constantly looking at paintings created and made in the New England area. I look back to the Hudson River school for inspiration with their use of light and the grandeur presented in their landscapes. I'm thinking about my paintings in a bigger picture. I’m not trying to focus my attention on any specific part. Many of my paintings are from life. I want to be in front of the objects I’m painting. Capturing how light affects the objects I’m seeing in front of me is what drives me to paint. Working with my brush quickly allows me to manipulate the colors and shadows I’m seeing to further dramatize my works. Creating a moment in time is what I love. Pushing and pulling values and colors helps me capture an essence of what I see. I find this to be an important stage in my process. There is a degree of simplification that comes with the speed I work at. I want to capture the likeness of an object without copying its entirety one for one. I’m not always here to copy an object or scene, but rather to highlight its qualities I’m drawn to.