"My oil paintings blend portraiture and landscape to create visual stories that relate the paradoxical and spiritual nature of nature to our own successes and pitfalls. I believe these stories remind us to turn our struggles and losses into strengths; to fortify our passions and seize what joy we may, against the odds. This series of paintings is about human resilience and our connection with the natural world. I’m using the idea of prescribed fire to convey that using our fears to our advantage can avoid larger catastrophes and propel successful growth. I enjoy using science resources for reference, like these open source photos from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and NASA taken here in my home state of Florida because I see many parallels between science and spirituality and I seek to honor both through my art. "