In my work, I use the common language of reality to express myself as passionately and effectively as I can. I depict what I see but I must also communicate what the subject matter means to me on an emotional, intuitive, and symbolic level. Communicating the “unseen” in what I see influences my choices about composition, color, paint dynamics, and the energy I pour into a painting. A portrait must look exactly like the person in front of me, but it must also reveal their character, disposition, and even how they might personify an archetype.