A good piece of advice I once heard was: “Don’t paint the extraordinary, elevate the ordinary.” With that in mind, I look for places and things that might be overlooked and try to spark joy into them. I also like my paintings to tell a story, so I am always searching for something I can make a connection with and say something interesting about. It could be vintage shoes or a line of ducks walking to their pond. My goal as an artist is to observe these subjects intimately, paint what I see honestly and hope the resulting images will resonate with the viewer. For me, painting is as much about problem-solving as it is about observation. I welcome the unexpected, allowing the process itself to lead the piece in new directions. My goal isn’t to simply depict what I see, but to draw viewers into the flow of color, the push and pull of darks and lights and the unique character of oil paint.

My landscapes, still lifes, animals, and people are painted, whenever possible, from life as well as reference photos I take myself or have been given permission from generous photographers. I often start with an imprimatura — a first layer of transparent oil paint. Then I allow my brush to be loose and expressive to the last dab of paint that captures the light.

My father was a painter and the smell of turpentine was as much a part of my childhood growing up in Southern California as that of suntan lotion. One of my first exposures to serious art was when he took our family to see Picasso at the LACMA when I was ten and then to watch the Disney film, Fantasia. When I showed an inclination to take up drawing, he set me down at his drafting table for an impromptu lesson in perspective and composition.

I’ve been pursuing artistic expression my entire life, but my formal education focused on Literature and writing at UC Berkeley. I became a more serious student of oil painting when I took my first workshop in 2012 and realized how little I knew. Many plein air workshops and studio classes later, I know I still have much to learn. My first teacher will always be my father, but I owe a debt of gratitude to the many artists who have inspired me and shared their insights along the way.