I paint everyday. I do studies. I paint walls. My studio is canvas, wood, tools and paint. It is my laboratory. It is a place for me to paint fresh and allow my inspiration to flow. I bring ideas here. Ideas for my paintings evolve from the experiences I have, colors that inspire me, and the objects that surround me everyday. I take these and put them together as a still life. The still life setting is my outlet.As a still life painter, I abstract elements in each painting allowing other qualities to take on a stronger role. I combine these abstracted forms with realistic and expressionistic views of objects, shapes and color. Part of my inspiration is pushing the boundaries of what can be done from a two-dimensional perspective. I need objects to exist figuratively to the extent that they define the space of a setting. I am fascinated with this space and the way that it can hold objects together or pull them apart. It is with color and texture I shape the focus of a painting and frame the essence of a still life setting with the feeling of a place.