Most of my abstracts are based on shapes and colors found in nature or in human-made objects, providing me relief from detailed, representational work. I try to capture something that interests me about either the subject being abstracted, such as a butterfly, or about the medium, such as watercolor paint’s transparency, or about a technique, such as impasto. Sometimes I like to use anything but a brush for mark making: container tops, expired credit cards, serrated plastic knives, etc. Usually if I have enjoyed the process of making a painting, a series results.