I attempt to push my work within the bone series to a place between representation and abstraction, yet always leaning toward representation in order to capture the beauty and interesting surfaces of these fascinating structures. Each piece begins with sketches rendered carefully from direct observation of a skeleton, which then go through a gradual process of abstraction and compositional drafts. The end result is never "previewed" in my mind when I start; the metamorphosis of each piece occurs through experimentation with form, color, texture, line and composition. After the initial sketches, the process of creating each piece is wide open, following no direct or repeated path. A contrary process is pursued when developing my work within the still life series. In these paintings I concentrate on accurate portrayals of each object and the various tactile qualities that exist within each still life. I enjoy drawing and painting simple, classic and whimsical forms, with my favorites appearing in several different works. The large paintings in this series were developed with a circular compositional structure around a central form. In the background of each looms another painting, my own version of various scenes from Greek Mythology.