I am driven by the quest for quiet and solitude. The louder and more thoughtless the nonstop buzz surrounding us becomes, the greater my need to create the opposite. I paint people engaged in quiet and contemplative pursuits, and landscapes that invite a solitary stroll. The vibrancy of my preferred medium, pastel, often magnifies the sense of introspection.

I'm continually working to improve my mark making. Each painting has its own story and the better I can make my marks, the more clearly I can convey it. I want my art to stir the soul, to create a connection. I want it to bring back memories and make people smile. Do you remember listening for meadowlarks as you hiked up the trail? Does the figure curled up with a book remind you of someone you love, maybe even yourself?

My art is about connecting to people with recognition and emotion, a sense of place and of memory, of simply being human. I hope that sharing my need for quiet encourages others to recognize and embrace their own, to take a deep breath and remember that they can separate themselves from all that noise, if only for a moment.