Influenced by decades trekking the hills of Northern California in order to paint its inspiring beauty, my studio abstracts reflect my continuing fascination with color. I can approach my abstract painting by laying out an expanse of one color, then adding or subtracting further colors intuitively, composing with relationships between color and shape. I can pour paint to differentiate areas, allowing the paint to define the outcome. These poured shapes have enlarged my vocabulary of expressive forms and have freed me from my tendency to judge the results too harshly. I may add lines to emphasize the energetic direction or mood of the composition. These lines can become too aggressive, intruding upon the stillness of meditative spaces and require effort to keep them in check. The physicality and constant challenge of abstract composition keep the work alive for me.