One of the things I learned from my first art teacher is that artists look at the world differently than most people.  You don't just see what's there, but shapes, shadows, light, proportions etc.   Having lived and travelled in many countries all these images have contributed to my work.  Since coming to                 The Netherlands I've been working mainly in acrylic.  Most of my work is figurative, but my style is constantly evolving.  I enjoy experimenting with color and technique and make an effort to try something new with each painting.

Once I’ve gotten an idea for a painting I research the subject.  This means, among other things,  scouring the internet and magazines for examples.   This helps me learn the form, see different ways light can fall, shadows cast,  etc.  After that I make a preliminary sketch with pencil on paper.  Once I’m satisfied with the composition and balance of tones  I make a decision on what sort of feeling I want to emit with the painting.  Based on this I choose one color and cover the entire canvas.   Although once the painting is finished this color is usually not visible anymore, it sets the mood for me to begin.  The next step is to make some defining lines in pencil.  Then the fun starts.  My manner of working is chaotic.   Sometimes I feel the painting tells me what to do.  Often the end result is very different than the original sketch.  I work with brushes and pallet knives and many layers.  When I feel a painting is done I’ll move it around to different places in the house,  take a picture of it and look at it in the mirror to see if it’s  really finished.  Sometimes after working on a painting for a long time it is hard to see it and looking at it from a different perspective helps me view it with fresh eyes.