I began painting as a teenager in my family’s garage, studying Impressionist masters such as Cézanne, Renoir, and Manet. I was drawn to their use of color, structure, and gesture, and came to see this early practice as a way of learning to see—an entry point into becoming an artist. While drawing remained my primary visual language, painting persisted as a quiet undercurrent in my practice.

In the past year, I have felt a renewed pull toward painting as a means of expanding both my visual and conceptual range. Artists such as Willem de Kooning, Philip Guston, and David Palidin, alongside contemporary painters like Maja Ruznic and Stephanie Sachs, continue to shape my sensibility. What draws me most to painting is its openness—the way gesture, brushwork, and material can guide the process as much as intention. By allowing mark-making to lead, I approach each work as an evolving exploration shaped by curiosity, risk, and discovery.