I recognize the vulnerability of my subjects and treat them with care and respect because I enjoy my internal, silent dialogue with them as I paint. The mirror of my portraits goes both ways reflecting them as well as myself, how we feel about each other. That's why I attempt to show their internal strengths, vulnerability, and beauty. Sometimes it is very painful for me to accurately achieve that intangible beauty that makes me love them. It is the joy of knowing them which makes it worth the time and effort. When I am struggling I ache; when it finally happens, it is lightness and Springtime. The poet/songwriter Leonard Cohen talked about the idea of being “conflicted and then being able to restore to order” when one crafts a song, a life. This resonates with my process.