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A note on lighting my paintings.
My paintings look best in dim light with spotlights shining on the main lights or figures of the painting. That way they start to glow.

There are two types of paintings I make. The first are images that come to me as flashes in my mind, and I do my best to paint them into reality from imagination and probably the subconscious dream world. The second are more recent paintings that have to do with my struggle to find meaning, strength, direction, faith and love for something permanent, in my life. My search has led me to explore Christianity as a faith, due to the pain I feel when I put my faith in anything Earthly that quickly passes away or leaves me with a feeling of emptiness. I am more inspired to paint biblical images, and biblical portraits, such as "Isolation of Judas", representing the fear and isolation Judas must have felt after he betrayed Christ, and the isolation I feel as a new believer struggling with doubt in my new faith.

My desire to paint the stories of the Bible or illustrations that have profound meaning, often of hope, has increased greatly.

These paintings are not just for Christians, they are for anyone who feels lost or wants to contemplate something greater than themselves, something permanent, something not found in a lover, a friend, a car, houses, boats, loads of money, pleasure, or other things, for all these things are passing and can be lost. Aloneness, anxiety, and hope are also themes in my paintings. The darkness, or the somber color, is used for representing my anxiety or loneliness. The smaller and stronger light parts of the paintings are used to represent hope in the darkness-- a light of hope in the darkness represented by strong darks and a smaller strong light area-- the light of hope, strength and love sent in the message of Jesus Christ.

My landscapes are inspired by the American Hudson River School painter Thomas Cole. They represent the awesome awe inspiring creativity and power of God. They are a fantastic escape from the cities and urban stress that is around me and others. There is great freedom in them. There is also a great loneliness in them, because when I moved to where there are no people, and saw such great beauty and heard a great silence in the air, I realized that people are more beautiful than nature, and that a city with people can be more comforting than the greatest majestic mountain.

It is your state of mind, and often how you see others in relation to yourself. So there are a few meanings really, sometimes conflicting, , one of loneliness, one of escapism or freedom, one of the power and awe inspiring creativity of God, and one of the paradise that one could experience on Earth, or a sight of Heaven. As you view the landscape, the option you choose is due to your experience and where you've been in your life.

"Crucifixion" was something I painted because I wanted to paint something more important than myself, more important than painting, in an attempt to find something that is more meaningful to the agnostic. Causing the agnostic to think about Christianity, agnosticism does not seem like a happy way for me to be, and I painted this painting,
in search of something better for myself, even though there is doubt. The colors I chose were pleasant to contrast the reality of what is happening in that picture."

"Lovers" is about two lovers that don't often connect, they aren't broken entirely but they are constantly reaching out together to establish that work that is involved in keeping a relationship together, a constant reaching out. This painting is similar to Michelangelo's painting of God breathing life into Adam.

"Temple" is mainly about symmetry. Perfection. Man's ability to create great buildings through cooperation as seen as this greek construction above. This one came to me as a clear image and is hard for me to interpret.

"Trinity" is a symbol of perfection. In this case, the trinity symbolizes perfection of coooperation
that is echoed in the perfection of nature. The man in the water watches along in awe of that perfection. He is not part of it, he is only a passing observer.

"Reflection" is mainly about looking into yourself in relation to other people, and coming back from that , establishing some kind of identity that works both for yourself, and for other people, a kind of balance. The man seems struggling so hard to see his reflection because it is very hard to see yourself as other
people may see you, or whether you want to be different than that reflection you see.

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(A small note I got from the preacher Charles Stanley about how to find God's will for your life. I keep this in my wallet. These are 7 questions about how to find God's will or your life.)

In making a decision, action, or thought.

1. Is it consistent with the Word of God? that is, the bible, the scriptures.
2. Is this a wise decision, what are the future consequences?
3. Can I honestly ask God to enable me to do/get this? outside of God's will it's going to turn to ashes.
4. Do I have genuine peace about this?
5. Does this fit who I am as a follower of Jesus Christ?
6. Does this fit God's overall plan for my life, God's plan for your life is the best plan.
7. Will this decision, thought or action honor God?
8. Now that I know God's will from these 7 questions, am I willing to do it? Anything God takes away , he usually has something better for your life, this takes patience and courage.