Landscape painting affords me a wealth of tradition and influence, and provides a platform that seems familiar and recognizable. Nineteenth-century romanticism, Japanese woodblock prints, and Abstract Expressionism all factor into my vocabulary. I work primarily in a reactive sense. A certain rock may lead to another, which in turn may lead to a specific tree. The scenes I end up composing function as both utopian and eerily post-apocalyptic, both of which can be seen metaphorically as social concerns in contemporary life. By inviting the viewer in visually, I ask them to recall where we have been, explore where we are now, and confront where we may be headed.