'You see...war is not the answer...for only love can conquer hate.'

Marvin Gaye My art is an extension of my emotional and mental landscapes, inspired by music and expressed through a jazz age aesthetic. For me, jazz represents individuality and improvisation. From this philosophy, I paint the way jazz makes me think and feel. I am drawn to the lonely, melancholy side of jazz, which I express through my interpretation of the somber musician, the lonely individuals with their vices to get them through another night, the relationships affected by uncertainty and misunderstanding.

Rather than paint the celebrity jazz musicians and vocalists, I create from what I imagine an individual feels and experiences who has not experienced fame or economic success. I try to capture the moments that ignite the passion that motivates these individuals to continue to express themselves through their music, despite the struggle.

I am equally captivated by the hope that jazz represents through its improvisation and history of transcending racial or cultural limitations. I paint that hope through my application of rich layers of color, ink drawn detail, and jazz age motifs. My paintings are still shots of individuals living their lives as the improvisation of jazz music...the highs, the low, and the moments in-between.