The use of vivid color and a range of textures are hallmarks of my paintings.  Some landscape scenes are full of energy and drama.  Here I tell my story with heightened contrasts and color shifts, using both brush and palette knife to bring texture and depth to the painting.  Where scenes are quieter, such as the open space of California foothills on a misty morning, I use softer-edged brushwork and gentler color shifts to tell a story of serenity and calm.  I aim to make every brushstroke count.

Some painting scenes I return to many times, each time expressing the day's unique light and energy.  I'm drawn to the farms, ranches and acres of land in the Central Valley and Gold Country and continue to paint a series depicting these views.  I often complete my floral paintings in the garden, dramatizing the color contrast between blossoms, leaves and the background. 

Whether for a landscape or floral scene, I typically start my paintings with a thin, transparent wash of alizarin crimson and transparent red oxide.  Next I paint a value study in the same colors on the canvas.  These initial layers will go on to infuse the final painting with warmth.  Later, when painting brushstrokes of greens, golds and blues over this value study, I intentionally allow tiny pops of the deep, transparent red to peek through, adding sparkle and liveliness to the final picture.