My paintings are authentic scenes found in nature and depict my impression of the moment. Observations made during time spent in Hawaii and New Mexico are ongoing inspirations for my art. I am most influenced by the shapes and colors in nature and the mood created by varied weather conditions that effect the direction of shade and light.   Very often I will paint a small sketch of a captivating scene, using oil and working quickly, to record the emotion of my personal experience. I refer to these oil studies when creating my larger paintings. In this instance, two series have emerged-one series smaller, spontaneous paintings and another of the larger, evolved paintings that investigate color and shape with added attention.