My paintings involve a visual play where skeletal contour marks hover across graphic, modern shapes creating a bold drawing structure. The punchy organic shapes of wiggly plants and bold, non-local color are balanced by light airy passages where the tempo of my works change. I compose my paintings on a grid, but use organic shapes on top of a geometric structure to make my paintings come alive. Synthesis and editing play a strong role in my work. Often certain features of the objects are omitted or restructured. My paintings include a variety of edges, painterly marks, and tension between open and closed shapes. Matisse has been a major influence on my work. His cutouts have a distinct joyfulness that comes from animated shapes and color proportion.