The focus of my work in this gallery is birds and their surroundings. Most of these birds live in or spend parts of their lives in California. Comprised of some of the biologically richest ecosystems on the planet, California's unique habitats are falling to a singular kind of habitat, suburbia, at an unprecedented rate. In order to contribute to an understanding of the complexity of what is being poisoned, bulldozed and paved over, as well as what has been preserved, I have depicted a diversity of birds and aspects of their surroundings in a variety of ways: simple, complex, closeups, landscapes, colorful and monochromatic. This is a journey of my heart, the journey of a nature mystic that has not reached its conclusion. It is a celebration of the world I perceive, the parts of this earth that bring me great joy and deep, inner peace. It is a synthesis of my enthusiasm for drawing and painting, my respect for science and my spiritual explorations.

To unify the many facets of my vision, I have grouped the works on each of these pages by their thematic similarities. All of my compositions share some or many of the same elements and shapes. I am fascinated by patterns that recur in a variety of expressions throughout nature, and I never tire of looking for the beauty and perfection in this grand design. For instance, sharp, subtle, sinewy or calm, the contours of birds, of hillsides, of trees and plants, or of ripples in the water, diagonals inspired by nature are the common threads in all my compositions. My tendency to render what I see more decoratively than realistically is another thread through all my work, an uncontrollable feeling for abstraction, for responding to the 3-dimensional in a personal, non-photographic way. From intense color to absence of color, from busy to calm, from water media to oil paint, I work in ways that are not typical of depicting birds and their surroundings.