Working with a large scale magnifying dentist’s mirror to highlight the detail of the subject matter, I like to think that I paint ‘from the inside out’ intensely focused on each section of the canvas.

Once the canvas is completely covered in the first layer, I start again - adding more values of light and dark. I begin again and again until the lights can no longer be lighter and the darks can no longer get darker. The painting becomes harmonized by incorporating the background tones into the foreground subject. The light can be so bright the lines blur between the two.

When that happens, the painting becomes ‘alive’ to me and I know its time to put down my brushes.