My paintings communicate a state of controlled chaos as I combine two divergent forces and approaches: realism and abstract expression. Through a proficient handling of light, a mastery of images, and a skillful mark-making method, the paintings confer an illusion of reality on something that’s not real. The end result occupies a space between magic and illusion rooted in the American realist tradition. My painting philosophy is art is magic, and the magic is illusion.