Despite all the beauty that surrounds us ‘most men lead lives of quiet desperation,’ as Henry David Thoreau said. When I first heard this quote I thought to myself, ‘this can’t be true.’

But then I looked around and inside myself and sadly realized the truth of that statement. It’s quiet desperation that nobody sees, hidden inside each person; it is inevitable, but ever-present. Antoine de Saint-Exupery called it ‘secret place, the land of tears.’ When I work at my art I feel compassion toward all human beings. The purpose of my art is to provide a healing, if somewhat fleeting relief from this desperation; to comfort and remind the viewer that beauty still exists, is within our reach, and that all is not lost.

I begin by priming the canvas heavily with gesso, creating textural surface, then apply a base coat. After sketching my design onto this base, I build up the surface with coats of acrylic in order to achieve the rich and brilliant hues. It is the texture of the painting that I love--opalescent nuances of different layers of color. I am also sensitive to the line, its elegant and harmonious curves.

Vibrant and strong colors play a key role in my work. Although I currently reside in New York, fond memories of Italy, the Caribbean, Amazon rainforest, and other sun-drenched places continuously inspire my palette.