I began painting as a teenager in my family’s garage, working from Impressionist masters such as Cézanne, Renoir, and Manet. I was drawn to their use of color, structure, and gesture. I understood this early practice as a way of learning how to see and how to become an artist. Although drawing was always my primary visual language, painting remained a quiet undercurrent in my work.

In the past year, I have felt a renewed pull toward painting as a means of expanding my visual and conceptual range. Artists such as Willem de Kooning, Philip Guston, David Pallidin, Maja Ruznic, and Stephanie Sachs continue to inform and inspire my practice. What excites me most about painting is its openness: the way gesture, brushwork, and material can lead the process as much as intention. By allowing the brush and gesture to guide me, I see my work as a continually evolving exploration; one shaped by curiosity, risk, and discovery.