There is stillness as a front appears at the northern end of the lake – a calm. Clouds gather. The light becomes brilliant then dark. The wind curls itself into a directed force. Rain comes. The visual drama of the lake is never the same. Multiple conditions of light created by the time of day and the weather create textures in the water, patterns in the clouds, and juxtapositions of color that vibrate with one another to form the visual experience of the lake. The morning light is slowly teased up over the horizon, gently lighting the clouds, while the evening sunset feels like a race through the fire into the darkening sky. These dynamic combinations of light, shape, pattern. and color inspire the images that I paint. I enjoy the manipulation of material and how that process in itself contributes to the life and form of the final image. Dramatic, gestural lines describe the play of light and wind across the water, while softer marks add life to the slow movement of rain laden clouds across the sky. Areas of sky, water, and land are knit together to represent their seamless interaction under the common conditions of weather and time. Colors are intentionally juxtaposed to create passages that are beautifully compelling. The lake, for me, is a metaphor for the constantly changing energy of our relationship with ourselves, those around us, and with our environment. My paintings are a visual exploration of the unbreakable but changeable connections that exist between forces both within us and without.