I’m a native of Phoenix, Arizona, I’ve lived here most of my life, and I’ve always had a love for the landscape here. The Sonoran desert has a vibrant energy that can be felt in the waves of heat and the buzz of the insects on a hot summer day. It also has a quiet mystery that can be felt at night, or on a cool winter morning. Themes I try to portray in my work include balance and continuity. The desert strikes a constant balance between movement and stillness, noise and silence, mystery and reality — I use line, color and shape in my attempts to communicate these qualities. The continuity of life in the desert, especially the enduring varieties of desert cacti and succulents, has always amazed me. Through the use of a continuous line in some of my pieces (my one-line cactus drawings and paintings), I try to convey the ongoing spirit of life in spite of the harsh extremes of the desert climate. Color is a central visual element in my work, and the palette I use ranges from subtle earth tones to vibrant, saturated fields of color. Shape is another component I utilize — I use abstracted shapes to represent natural elements including Earth, Sky, Water, Sun and Moon. The rhythm and harmony of the desert, and the perseverance of life in its extreme environment are the primary inspirations behind my work, and I strive to give a sense of the vitality and magic of the desert southwest in every piece I create.
