I paint or draw thinking it may answer my questions about something I find interesting or want to know more about. The process becomes a dialogue—like having a conversation without words.

I am a self-taught painter, meaning I did not go to school for painting but for graphic design, which was helpful for learning about composition. All of my work is based on photographic images that I find or shoot myself. Pictures from the Internet, old albums, books, magazines, and snapshots of TV screens or movies provide great source material. I have been drawing for as long as I can remember, and began practicing in oil about nine years ago. At first I was reluctant to try and work in such a historic medium, feeling intimidated about approaching something I could never master, as I am colorblind to a certain degree. But the more I work, the more obvious the creative benefits of being a selftaught painter become to me.