The paintings of messages floating in a sky over a landscape began really with a simple image I had in my mind. I didn’t know what these paintings were about in the beginning; I was just captivated by the image. As those paintings developed they became for me something so personal that I began to see them as gifts—messages--epiphanies that communicated an overwhelming sense of peace and encouragement. Contentment. They made me become more and more aware of the importance of dreaming, not in terms of escaping but in terms of living a fulfilling and rewarding life. They enkindled in me a deepening desire to be a good father, husband, teacher, and friend. They made me think that wonderful things are not only possible, but also inevitable and within my reach. They still do although it has become evident to me that to maintain those optimistic feelings a no small measure of persistence is required. Much like trying to keep a balloon afloat by continuous puffs of air. Anything of my work that has to do with still life carries with it something of this narrative, which brings me to the other facet of my work.