I have always been fascinated with the use of color, and the subtlety of light and shadow on those colors. I am intrigued by the reflections and patterns of light on glass in windows and doorways--particularly to see the distortion of objects reflected back to the eye. To paint everyday objects with attention to fine detail, I often set up still lifes in my studio and also use photos to accurately capture the light. While walking in a farmers market or along a city street, my attention might be drawn to something I want to paint. Then I grab my IPhone and take several photos to work from back in my studio.
I particularly love to paint restored classic cars. Sometimes I find them at car shows or other times just parked on the street. When an artist friend saw my car paintings, she called them "Car Portraits", and that is exactly how I think of them. Each car has its own unique beauty, design, and character that I try to capture with my oil paints. It is impacted by the reflections of the environment around it, especially in the chrome and glass surfaces.
I am inspired by the paintings of artists such as Richard Estes and Ralph Goings - the kind of photorealistic images that lead the viewer to question whether it is a painting or a photograph.