I began to seriously study drawing and painting during high school. Like most art students I mainly worked from real life. In my senior year I became one of the first AP art students at my school. This gave me the chance to create and choose my own subject matter. Many of the pieces in this group are based on still lifes that I created.

During this time I was deeply influenced by the Impressionists and their use of light, brush stroke, and color. As a result, I began experimenting with color. I also began to paint with short, quick brush strokes applying thicker layers of colorful paint. My playful approach to color, perspective, and form gave my later pieces a somewhat abstracted appearance.