As an artist I have been striving from my earliest memories to capture and reflect an idea through the portrayal of aesthetically pleasing images. Art must be emotionally revealing to the eye and the soul.

In my childhood, I was greatly impacted by observing the works of DaVinci and Raphael. Consequently, it was not surprising that after I won my first major art contest at the age of 23, the press referred to my work as post Pre-Raphaelite. It was at this point in my life that I realized a parallel philosophy and approach that had developed between those illustrious Royal Academy artists of the 1850's and myself. I found I could not keep away from studying the Pre-Raphaelite collection at the City Centre whilst living in Manchester, England. I was intrigued with John William Waterhouse's "Hylas and the Nymphs." After seeing Sir John Everett MilIais' "Ophelia" at the Tate Gallery in London, I thought it was one of the most magnificent paintings I had ever seen. William Holman Hunt's 'The Light of the World" at Keble College, Oxford, gave me a deeper appreciation of how powerful a statement could be achieved on canvas. It was only by studying the Bible that I fully understood how important this work is.

All of these paintings – the manner in which they were meticulously crafted and the beautified with light color, and form – have left a lasting and tremendous influence over me.

I was also encouraged and challenged to improve my techniques whilst a student under the celebrated Joseph Sheppard. Sheppard was a pupil of the former curator of restorations at the Lovure, Jacques Maroger, who was able to recreate the techniques of the old masters.

I feel that art is a constant gaining of knowledge. Each painting is an education in itself to understanding how and why nature works the way it does. Seeing how light strikes an object and causes reflections to appear is a visual treat that may go unnoticed if the artist does not capture it for the world to see. There is also a dream like quality that the artist cannot help but bring out because of the romance that develops with each work. In this world of high technology, I think we need a little more time to spend romancing and seeking out those moments, especially if they cause us to think true, pure and noble thoughts. As an artist, I strive to convey this philosophy to my audience.