Art is a form of self-expression for me and has always been since I can remember.  I suspect I have some sort of brain function that allows me to see shapes and forms manifest from the simplest of visual input - take a rock or a piece of wood for example.  I look at and see this :).  I am also very shy about making accurate drawings - it feels foreign - and as I work with the shapes and forms that I see they begin to form elegant humorous mysterious creatures.

First however I have a thought from life experience.  I looked at a huge pine tree in a snowstorm and it looked like there were snow shapes all over the tree that looked like 1,000 souls silently pressing on, haunting, needing.

So I combine what I see with what it makes me think about.

I've been stretching my own canvases since I studied at The School of the Art Institute Chicago (1991-1996) and have always enjoyed that hands-on experience of working with canvas and wood.  I place a layer of white acrylic paint with a matte medium on the canvas first. Sometimes I lay in an image with pencil or charcoal or paint and work from there or I'll allow the image to form or manifest itself through layers of acrylic paint.   I'll drizzle some wax on at various points in the painting to add more shapes to expound on.  I will also work on the side of the painting, adding some wording that contributes to bringing the piece to life using language.

Keep it personal.