My paintings are made intuitively, improvisationally, and with practiced discernment.  They are puzzles of color and rhythm that reveal themselves as I add and subtract their history, building them up with layers of varying densities.   I often challenge myself to respond to harsh or unlikely color combinations or difficult compositions, making myself search for results that surprise me.  I chase paint and compositions around until I can get them to sit long enough for me to catch a glimpse of my paintings' essence while trying not to kill them with complete resolution.  There may be several opportunities to call a painting “done” throughout my process, but if it feels "finished" too soon, I find myself compelled to work back into it in order to take it where it really needs to go.  I aim to find wonder in my own painting, feel drawn to look at it over a sustained period, and sometimes try to figure out how I made it, because the steps aren’t even obvious to me.  I will never know how great a painting can be if I settle for leaving after its first act.  I don't ever want to think to myself later, "What if?. . . it could have been something grander and I stopped short?"