ARTIST STATEMENT "My work is a fusion of realism and abstraction. A painting starts with an abstract underpainting, subjectplacement, and scale. From there, the image moves back and forth between abstraction andrepresentation. The still-life subjects are mundane but hint at something more - human connections,relationships, and emotions. My goal is to be open and to hear the voice of the work; it is myconversation with the painting. As I go through this process, I find the work moving more into abstractionand mystery, a breaking down of the “reality” of the image."