The images in this work are rooted in my discovery of art as a child. I was very fortunate to be born into a military family that, during my formative years, was stationed in Europe. My mother made it her personal mission to ensure her children experienced the great works of the European masters. I explored famous works of art firsthand and was exposed early to painters like Caravaggio and Rembrandt. For me, those two names became synonymous with great art.

As I grew as an artist, I was drawn to portraiture, and, more specifically, portraiture lit with controlled, directional light. I have captured the aesthetic of Late Baroque oil paintings in this body of work. I used historic clothing and props to reinforce the mood and texture that directional light emphasizes.  The use of lowkey lighting will always have a place in art as its ability to transfer the two-dimensional plane into something that has believable three-dimensional depth.