My love for art began in my early teens when I signed up for art class in high school and soon discovered that I had a passion for drawing and oil. Growing up in a family of 5 made it somewhat difficult for my parents to support all of our interests, but I can’t tell you how excited I was when my dad came home one evening to tell me he bartered with one of his customers in exchange for 3 weeks of oil painting classes. I immediately took to oil painting. I loved mixing colors and applying layers of paint onto a blank canvas. My first painting was of my brother, John, surfing. I ended up giving that piece away but wished I had kept it in memory of him. It’s been just recently that I’ve taken up oil painting full-time. I’m embracing the freedom of abstract painting and loving figurative and landscape painting with an influence of impressionism. I love the challenges and the rewards of “just creating.” I have so many influences that motivate me to paint that I can’t imagine ever stopping again! I hope you take pleasure in looking at my work and maybe even inspire the artist in you someday.