Artist's Statement

My abstract mixed media paintings are inspired by the classical music that I've always loved and listen to while I work. Those timeless compositions influence the cadence, mood and feel of my artwork, which I have always described as being not so much "painted" as "built". My second source of inspiration, which has greatly contributed to my style  is the clean geometry, symmetry and simple line elegance of Art Deco buildings, whose shapes and details I so admire and which I was very fortunate to live surrounded by for a few years in the early 1990's, when I moved to Miami's South Beach Deco District. The third, I would say, is the sea. My home/studio is in Key Largo, Florida, in a marina community by the Atlantic Ocean. I can see waves of blue, aqua, teal and every shade of turquoise from all the windows of my home.

​Combined with acrylic paints, inks and crayons, I always collage bits of the actual sheet music of my painting's classical inspiration within the piece, as well as pieces of patterned fabrics, shiny and colorful silk cords, Japanese rice paper and silver or gold leaf. But it is my use of the scraps of sheet music that, I believe, infuse each of my pieces with its genesis. I really enjoy watching when someone approaches one of my paintings at an exhibit and suddenly notices that there's music there. I then see a smile come to their face, because music is a universal language and theme, understood and appreciated by everyone. My goal is to always promote that joy.