What drives me to create art is my fascination with light and its effects. I never tire of observing how changes in lights, as it shifts over any surface, can momentarily transform an object or a scene into something quietly mysterious or powerfully moving. A ray of sunlight shimmering across my snowshoe tracks in winter or penetrating a dark forest, to illuminate a long forgotten old tree, often become subjects for my paintings and drawings. Since many of the landscapes I paint are ones I've known since childhood, my depictions often reflect life experiences and emotions I associate with them. Sometimes I like to include a figure in my paintings to illustrate how people interact with those places. I find that the best way to hang on to what initially excited me about a subject or view is not only to take a photo, but also to take notes about colour and time of day, and to make a preliminary sketch on the spot. I always keep a sketchbook handy and, if time and weather permit, I do a small plein air study in oils.