Our lives are full of unexpected moments that inspire us. 
I am inspired by well told stories, vibrant colors, dramatic lighting  shadow shapes. Nature, in particular, inspires intense observation. When I am developing an idea for one of my paintings, I study objects with the mindfulness one might reserve for prayer or meditation and soon find that I feel a reverence or apprectiaion for that subject that I did not feel before I began. I truly believe the sacred is in the ordinary, which is to be found in one's daily life, in one's own back yard.

    In "Sunflowers", I wanted to capture giant sunflowers animated by a stormy wind. I happened to catch a glimpse of such a scene while driving down a country road. To me, the sunflowers seemed to be talking to one another. In "Moondream", the mood I wanted to portray was loneliness. I like to tell stories with my paintings, mysterious stories that speak differently to every viewer. "Wild Horses" was inspired by a scene I observed from my dining car window on a train through South Dakota. The stampeding, wild horses excited me and the memory of the incident was like a dream. I wanted to express that feeling in my painting. "Trees" represents my view of a meaningful relationship; dependant and independant at the same time. One summer day I strolled by a flowering, buzzing, magnolia tree in my neighborhood. The sound drew me to inspect the blossom more closely. It was filled with the busiest of bees, noisily collecting pollen from the lemon scented flower. This experience became, "Magnolia". Sometimes I get a glimpse of a world, unnoticed most of the time, which fills me with awe and this is why I paint.

     As an artist, I've been influenced by the works of Winslow Homer, Andrew Wyeth and Edward Hopper. I love the illustrations of Norman Rockwell, and the style of Tony Couch. One of my early teachers was Milford Zornes, a "California Scene Painter" of the 1930s, who taught me the value of using big, unified shapes to simplify a design. Other teachers, and there have been many, taught me how to preserve the white of my paper without using masking products, the importance of using tonal value to model form, and the harmonizing advantages of using a limited palette for each painting. I avoid the use of gimmicks, tricks or fads and prefer to embrace simple, sound art principles as my guide to better paintings.