Everything I paint is intensely personal; a map of my own history. I regard my paintings as portals, especially the landscapes. They are a means to leave the real and arrive somewhere heightened. I also examine some of the familiar icons that make up our particular culture. I work towards a specific light in my work. I grew up in northern Maine with long, dark winters, then in the shadows of tall buildings in New York City. I lost the ability to see well for some time due to illness. When by some sort of grace I got most of my sight back, I considered what I had missed most, which was light. I strive to capture that delicate luminosity which may happen for only an instant. To arrest and elevate that is what compels me to make my art now.