When I approach a blank sheet of paper, wooden panel or canvas, I am a taking a step into a realm of spaciousness, a direct encounter with The Great Mystery. What happens next is a spontaneous process borne of deep listening, observing, surrendering and allowing and more than asserting a theme or imposing much structure. My intention is to get out of the way so the painting can to the extent possible, paint itself. My inspiration is found close to home; in the aspen trees surrounding my mountain home, raven and magpie soaring in the wind, stones rounded the currents of the creek flowing through the canyon. Many of the mediums I work with come from nature as well. Beeswax, watercolors made with mineral pigments, ink made from walnuts or charred plant stalks.