I'm fascinated by the curious, the humorous, and the contemplative counterparts we find in wild animals and landscapes. My work is an evolving experiment, drawing on expressionism and surrealism, the roots of which make painting so expansive for me. I work with spontaneous and subconscious inspiration, creating images that speak to the human experience through the lens of nature. I work in oil using brush and knife with non-toxic colors and mediums. By beginning every painting with toning the canvas in thin washes, I create an initial composition from which I determine the context of the work. I enjoy using a limited palette and creating textured surfaces, while paying attention to elements of design. My most recent series plays with large areas of color layered beneath the gestural lines that determine a posture or horizon. I'm greatly influenced by the arbitrary colors and unstructured landscapes of French artist Anne Sophie Tschiegg, as well as the loose painterly strokes and use of palette knife by Australian artist Richard Musgrave-Evans. I'm an advocate for mental health and animal conservancy, and am passionate about empowering others to see what is possible.