Art-making is a way for me to remain connected with a foundational dimension of my lived experience. Representational painting allows me to honor my chosen subject matter by spending time giving close attention to its details. The finished work therefore becomes a tangible document of my reverence for the subject. I’ve begun to experiment with modifying and distorting cloud paintings with black holes and other forms of warping. Inspired by surrealist art, I’m looking to strike a balance between representation and imagination. The black holes and distortions represent gaps in knowledge and the limitations of human understanding of nature.