Whether painting a landscape, architecture, flowers, animals or people (I love to paint it all), I ask myself, “What it is that I’m trying to convey, why am I painting this?” I’ve learned that by sticking to my concept, everything works better—the composition, color harmony, the energy, and so on. Often that becomes the name of the painting. I particularly enjoy painting portraits of people and animals, each time looking for the spark or the emotion that the individual shows (the sweet smile, the troubled spirit, the joie de vivre, the feisty nature, contentment, etc.). At the same time, whether I paint the portrait more realistically or abstractly, it is important to me that the painting is technically accurate and really looks like the subject.