Painting can be a scary thing. I remember the first time I ever painted on a canvas, I was scared to death. I got a painting set for Christmas one year complete with paints, canvas, brushes and an instructional video. I had always wanted to try oil painting, and now I was on my way.

I watched that video over and over, because I didn't want to do it wrong. It took me forever to get up the nerve to actually pick up the brushes and start painting. For some reason I thought that if I did it wrong, the earth would open up and swallow me whole.

I must admit, more than 20 years later, I still get nervous at the sight of a blank canvas. There are as many approaches to painting as there are painters. My approach is a kind of a get to know each other conversation with the painting. It starts with an introduction. Then during the process we go through struggles and successes together until the time comes when we move on to the next chapter.

One of the interesting things about the process is, that while I'm painting, I'm feel like I'm communicating with the painting back and forth. That's one conversation. Then, when it's finished and other people see it, they begin to have their own relationship with the piece. And it's usually not the same one I had. That's the great thing about art. It speaks.

My body of work is a bit eclectic. I have different styles for different days. I paint things that I find interesting to me. I can always tell you the story or thought process behind any painting, whether it’s “This is a painting of my dad packing the car for vacation” or “I started painting a line that reminded me of a pregnant belly, so I put a baby in it.” They may not be profound stories, but it’s what needed to be painted at the time.

I have painted a few commission works, usually for an illustration or a poster or something that was going to be used for graphic design purposes. I do commission work occasionally, but I’d rather just paint what needs to be painted and if anyone wants to buy one, they’re more than welcome to do so.