Beautiful objects are what I most enjoy painting and what is more beautiful than what is found in nature? I have only recently concentrated on botanical work though have always painted the natural world and was previously an illustrator. As an illustrator I worked on a lot of packaging and was known mainly for paintings of food which of course means painting fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc.

With botanicals I especially take pleasure in making what most people would pass by and make beautiful. When choosing my subject I think about the texture and detail I will have to work with . I enjoy rendering highlights on a shiny leaf or a sprouting onion that has thin peeling outer layers and sprouting green shoots from within. Before beginning I envision how I would like the finished piece to look and it is a matter of making it happen. I live in a pine forest in East Hampton, N.Y. whose beauty has given me unending subject matter and where I compete with the deer for garden specimens.