I've been creating for as long as I can remember. When I was little, I loved coloring books, and copying pictures from magazines, especially National Geographic. As I grew up, I learned how to draw and paint from inspiring teachers in high school, college, and in private lessons.I learned how to paint well with their guidance, and my own experimentation in a variety of styles and media. I entered art competitions and won awards. My love for the great outdoors is very influential in my work, as well as the influences of the human condition. I paint realistically and abstractly, switching up styles as easily as I switch colors. What brings my work together is the emotion that shows through. I'll use strong bold brushwork along with fluid paint to abstract the turbulent flow of water, or to depict the energy and joy of a musician performing on stage. I'll use paint markers in a series of dots to make serene colorful underwater scenes of imaginative exotic reefs and sea life, or create whimsical fantasy landscapes of billowy clouds and curvy roads through hills and deserts. When doing commission work, I strive to depict love and happiness in the portraits of couples, families, pets, and favorite places. I am influenced by many artists, but my favorites are Georgia O'Keefe, Joan MItchell, Artemisia Gentileschi, Leonardo DaVinci, Monet, Seurat, Jackson Pollock, and Gerhard Richter.