I'm really interested in landscapes; there is something about the colors, shapes and the way they interact that really intrigues me. Creating a deep illusion of space is another idea I'm working with, by experimenting with different brushstrokes and thicknesses of paint. I spend most of my time painting landscapes, and being outside, which led me to the topic of pollution. I create paintings that at first sight look really beautiful, but then the longer you look at them, the more obvious the pollution becomes. For an example, the painting I'm working on now refers back to Monet's water lilies, but instead of the reflection of the landscape and water lilies in the water I'm painting algae. I live on a small lake, where many houses use chemicals on their lawns in order to keep them looking perfect. These chemicals sink into the lake, where algae begins to grow. This algae uses up most of the oxygen in the lake, which in return kills the fish and plants in the pond over time.
I think that our society doesn't see the small problems that are building up, because there are so many images of extreme situations that they are worrying about. It is important for me to show that some pollution is not blatantly obvious, but as it builds up it will become a very large problem that we need to address.