Still Life:  My goal in choosing objects is to explore unusual combinations in order to encourage the viewer to look at those objects in a new way, and so that I may explore and experience the fine points of contrast, color and shape as I paint them.  I like intricate antique glassware and reflective objects, for the challenge of painting them and the enjoyment that they bring as part of a striking vignette bathed in vivid lighting, usually daylight.  Nothing can really replace the natural element, though--lush fruit, flowers or herbs, the irridescent skin of an onion--I find that I need to incorporate something from this family in each composition as well. 

Landscapes:  When painting the landscape, one has to consider how the universe came into being.  Complexity after complexity unfolds as the essential elements of weather, changing light, season, water, and other factors are incorporated into the subject.  Simplification is necessary, and the amount of simplification varies according to the subject and the mood.  I desire accuracy and detail, but romanticism appeals to me too.  There is something enchanting about visiting a place, then later going back, but finding it not as you remember.  Emotions and experiences get superimposed on being somewhere.  I want to also capture the haunting element of a natural setting.   

I believe that my paintings encourage a mood of reflection and introspection.  I want to draw out thought, discovery, and an awareness of beauty, be it strange or familiar to the viewer.