Painting for me is a contemplative, meditative process. A white canvas represents endless possibilities. It is the creation of space where there was no space: The interpretation of the physical into something transcendent. For me, a blank canvas is a wonderful inspiration and something I look forward to.
	I studied figurative painting, but my work has progressively focused on still life. Like all artists, I am always “studying” and my “teachers” also include the old masters: Cezanne for his compositions, Redon for his glorious colors and Monet for his expressive brush strokes. Later painters of recent history are also an inspiration ­– Alice Neel, Lucien Freud and David Hockey – for their modernity. My approach to inanimate objects is, deliberately, the same as figurative work. I try to find the unique qualities in each object; after all, no two pears are alike. Standing before a canvas with brush in hand is the most satisfying time of my day.