Portrait paintings are a window into the soul. Contemporary oil paintings with a quirky humor or sometimes melancholic narrative, depending on the mood captured at that time in the sitter. Painting a portrait is like a puzzle. I want to look beyond the mirror, see beneath the surface and understand what it's all about.  At the same time there is a deeper connection and conversation going on between the artist and the sitter that comes across in paint. Each portrait gets a glimpse into the mind's eye - partly mine the painter and partly the subject's! A portrait for me does not simply show a likeness of bone structure and flesh but conveys a sense of mood, and depending on the time of day and what the sitter is contemplating, the painting can alter dramatically. I combine realism and abstraction building layers and excavating for the truth. I like to let imperfections stay as none of us are perfect and the paint, drips and mark making are part of the process as I find an emotional connection to the sitter.