Matisse (La Cirque) influenced me as a child. I first saw the work in the library of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a child I was mesmerized. I purchased the book about him that they sold at the bookstore and I treasure it to this day. His work influenced me greatly. The color and the movement of the shapes define my work although have my own distinct painting style. In addition I was inspired when I saw newspapers being blown across the landscape and a crushed can lying along the street in Chicago. This was before the whole ecology movement and public awareness. I began to express what I saw in these paintings.