In 2019 I had an epiphany that I had been depriving myself of something essential to my emotional health and combatting depression - creativity. And in 2022 I had another epiphany about my painting process. I became aware of two distinct aspects of painting that bring me joy. One is recreating the emotion generated by a time and place, sharing a story personal to me with the world. But I also realized how much importance the physical qualities of how the colors play off of each other, the texture of the paint and the variety of markings hold for me. And it occurred to me I could have both in my work, beginning with something representational then focusing on the more abstract elements. Blurring the lines between two different styles. I'm excited with the recent work I've produced, and grateful to the many, many talented artists whose work has inspired me to push in this new direction of abstract expressionism.