In Authurian legend it was said that the wizard Merlin could tell the fortune of men in the clouds. The mystic quality of clouds has been with us since the dawn of time, and we have always been fascinated with the heavens. It is unfortunate that today, in our fast paced world, that we rarely take time to look at the sky. I don't mean "Oh, look what a pretty cloud!", but to really "look", and "study", and appreciate the wonder and the magic of our sky. To quietly enjoy the brilliant luminosity of a sunset, or the graceful forms of a summer cloud, clean and crisp in the bright blue. Gazing into the firmament; whether in the middle of the day, at sundown, at morning, or on a clear starry night, has always touched something deep inside of me, (as it surely has with you).

I am always amazed at how these atmospheric effects take on a personality of their own; from gentle gracefulness to tempestuous anger. Our feelings, identities, memories and thoughts are tied to this enviroment, both consciously and unconsciously, and most importantly, its existence alone is instrumental to life on this planet.

Originally these paintings were conceived in terms of computer graphics, (by digitizing photographs and manipulating them in the computer), but when I realized that the output (color bubble jets, dye sublimation, color laser prints, photos, etc) lacked the "factura" of the hand-painted image I decided to alter the process towards a more traditional end. Ultimately, over the past three years I have experimented with the tranposition of photographic, hand drawn, and 3D rendered computer images into the media of traditional painting. I utilize the computer (and other technologies) to plan out compositions and colour schemes which assist me in determining how I should go about painting the image; luminous opaque pigments and/or transparent glazes. The real struggle is to sucessfully "paint the light".

I'm certain everyone has been inspired by clouds and sky (with all their beauty and danger). I can only hope that my images can bring the same pleasure and inspiration.