Artist's Statement:

I always endeavor to reconcile realism with romanticism, to synchronize technical accuracy with emotional expression, and look to reveal "soul" by carefully observing "body."  One of the primary goals of realism is to represent the subject matter truthfully with a minimum of artistic convention, and, upon first glance, viewers will often say my paintings are photo-realistic. But, when they get up close to the pieces and see the dynamic dance of the brush strokes, they will many times remark with some variation of, "But up close, it looks like Impressionism!" or "There is so much rhythm in your brushstrokes."  Meticulously exploring the physical world usually springboards my painting process into just unconsciously allowing the brush to dance.  I think I mostly learned this lesson from Andrew Wyeth whose brushwork is a miniature universe of activity inside the macroscopic illusion of realism he creates. 

In my photography, I am much more focused on composition and how the subject within the frame will reveal itself through the abstract collection of shapes and their unique interplay at the moment that I release the shutter. In development, I approach things in a painterly manner, trying to enhance my original viewpoint through value, texture, and heightening of the natural light captured in the moment.