Painting from life is an opportunity to look outside of myself to ultimately reveal something within. My paintings are based on observation and memory. They are an effort to search for a subject in nature that is a metaphor for life’s ups and downs, symbols of hope and renewal; a rose about to bloom for instance and reveal itself when it is the most beautiful. They are a celebration of paint, color, gesture, and movement. These themes unite all of my work regardless of the subject. The work reflects the joy painting, an act of renewal and hope each time I face a blank canvas.