When people ask me what I paint I generally reply “Landscapes.” Although I’ve painted still life and portraits, it is the geological makeup of mountains, valleys and the play of light on bodies of water that intrigues me. If I don’t feel it, I don’t paint it. My creative muse faced a challenge when I lived in Kuwait. The desert didn’t inspire me so I turned to pomegranates. In this fabled fruit I found the emotional connection and inspiration I find in plateaus, ravines and hillsides. In this Middle East country, I also found painting as a means for me to understand myself and other women in this culture. The Women in Abaya,” series spawned from this reckoning.