An essential part of my life has always revolved around art. My paintings tend to reflect my surroundings, wherever I may be. Living primarily in Manhattan stimulates my senses to an infinite degree. In New York, I am inspired enough to draw or paint on a daily basis. I also spend time in Litchfield, Connecticut. There, my art is fueled by nature's beauty. 

I approach my work with an initial thought based on a loose theme. Sometimes the theme is very evident to me when I start and other times it evolves as I sketch out my ideas. When I paint en-plein air, I have to work at a fast pace to capture a moment, which is very exciting. As time passes, however, I am having a harder time combating the forces of nature: intense sun, bugs, wind. Bugs stuck to the oils do add a bit of "reality," but I do not find the tick bites quite as appealing. As a result I have been painting inside more, and work outdoors when the elements are kind.

I travel a lot and many of my paintings evolve from recently visited locations. I will photograph, sketch, or paint watercolors on site and then compose larger paintings in my studio, based on those initial images. 

I also love the process of developing oil sketches from my nascent ideas, which evolve into portrayals of people and places. Many paintings have their start in my imagination and soon take on a life of their own. Often, a feeling or emotion triggers an image which I will then flesh out in oil washes. I will then continue to work on the painting and build up layers of oil paint.

I want a painting to evoke emotions. Achieving this goal is what I put the most emphasis on while I am working. I would like the viewer to have an emotional reaction to what they are seeing, and, hopefully, walk away thinking about it.