As an oil painter, I use both insight and observation to express what inspires me. I analyze the subject and setting for motivation to paint the scene. This is true for portraits and landscapes. Plein air painting is very important to me.I do not attempt to copy nature, instead of interpreting what the subject and setting suggest and then to express what I see in an impressionistic way. When I begin a large painting , I first do several sketches ( value study) and color studies. When I am satisfied with the composition, I can then move forward. I like to use expressive and evocative brushstrokes( point, line and mass) to express both feeling and mood.