My 20 years as a classical French horn player have given me the foundational language I now use to communicate through abstract art. When an injury sustained in a car accident cut short my orchestral performance career, I shifted into visual art as my primary means of self-expression. I gravitate toward themes of recovery in my work, exploring my own understanding of what it means to claim, and take up space on my canvas, and in the world.When beginning a work, or series, I often feel into a memory and attach it to an emotion or color. I think of my mark-making as a conversation between my intuition and the piece itself. Though it may sometimes feel like an argument or struggle, I know the work is complete when I feel a sense of relaxation or calm pour over me. I am always seeking, and discovering new sources of inspiration for my art. My current pieces are heavily informed by my recent travels to Mérida, Yucatan, and my love and admiration for that beautiful, vibrant city. I am proud to identify myself as an abstract artist. It is within abstract art that I feel most at home. When I am at my easel, I get to explore my personal connection between music, memory, and emotion, and challenge myself to communicate deeply personal ideas to my audience, while still creating something aesthetically pleasing.