This series began with my recognition that two-thirds of my life has unfolded within big cities, and I wanted to explore the emotional undercurrents of urban living that we all experience but rarely articulate. The city became my subject, but not its architecture or streets, rather the psychological landscapes it creates within us. 

Executed primarily alla prima, these paintings capture the immediacy of urban experience through direct engagement with the canvas. The wet-on-wet technique mirrors how our emotional states shift as rapidly as the city's pulse. 

The 'City State of Mind' name captures the space the city occupies in our consciousness, the emotional states it generates, and honestly, my own fascination with translating the invisible feelings of urban life into bold color relationships that speak so loudly that cover the city's noise. Each painting becomes a psychological map of urban consciousness, where abstract color and gesture articulate what words cannot express.

This series emerged from an intensive exploration of red's chromatic range: from cool crimsons to warm cadmiums, muted umbers to vibrant vermilions. 

Using peppers as my primary subject, I questioned the hierarchical distinctions that elevate certain objects as "worthy" of artistic attention while relegating others to the mundane. These peppers reveal inherent sculptural qualities, dynamic forms with distinct character and volumetric presence. 

Working alla prima, I sought to capture the immediacy of perception, maintaining the integrity of that initial visual encounter without contamination from other observations. 

The title 'Heat' operates on multiple registers: the chromatic intensity of saturated pigments, the inherent spice of the subject matter, and the artistic urgency required to discover profound beauty within quotidian objects. 

I use my color courage to reveal personality rather than just appearance, celebrating the humor and spirit that animals carry so naturally, and honestly, my own joy in making viewers smile when they recognize that unmistakable spark of character in each piece. These aren't animal portraits, they're explorations of wit, attitude, and presence

Captivated by the contradiction between a poppy's bold visual presence and its incredibly soft, almost fragile texture, I began The Poppy Project as a quest to translate that tender tactile experience and brilliant color variety into paint. One hundred poppies will teach me how many ways I can honor both their striking simplicity and their whisper-soft vulnerability.

Time stops for me when witnessing the beauty of movement, and red becomes the spice that transforms my individual paintings into a unified series.