Escaping realism, I can imagine earth, wind, water, shadow, color and clouds as I want them to be, rather than as documents or portraits. But sometimes there's a view, full of meaning, that captures your heart and insists on a more faithful image. Both appear in my work.
But above all, I love the joy and freedom of working with oils. Applying color, true or arbitrary, layering thickly, scraping or withholding, sometimes color dark and dense, other times airy and translucent, it is always a pleasure. And while I sometimes try for quiet neutrals and smoky grays, color often takes the upper hand.