My artwork comes from the visual connection I have with common, everyday objects and places. I am inspired by the way light falls upon a subject, casting rich dark shadows, and I aspire to simplify the nuances within those darks. Starting with a luminous, warm ground, I seek to create a vibration of color by using complements and deliberately leaving some areas untouched. Painting for me is a lifelong journey of observations and a representational translation of my surroundings. After receiving my Bachelor of Fine Arts, I spent several years as an illustrator and graphic designer for New Hampshire Magazine. I then continued my creative exploration by becoming a Daily Painter and administrator of a Daily Painting website, Fresh Paint Daily Painters. The challenge of trying to paint a small, finished painting every day resulted in my use of deliberate strokes and quick observations. Working both in my studio and en plein air, my experience as a graphic designer and Daily Painter carries through into my oil paintings with strong contrasts of lights and darks. Most of my subject matter is influenced by the Maine coast.