“Simply put, I paint because it makes me happy.  If my happy journey through a painting ends in a piece that is pleasing to someone else, my joy multiplies exponentially!  I feel that beauty and inspiration for any art, whether it is music, literature or visual art, can be found in the most mundane, everyday objects; even a rusty row of mailboxes on a dusty country road.  I admire realistic painters for their skill and patience, but I prefer to interpret an object more loosely, using vivid color and bold strokes to convey an impression rather than an exact copy.”