I was always interested in people, and in what made them tick, and in their relationships. Drawing figures was a way to connect with people: their moods, expressions and ages.

Using more than one model in a painting, I started exploring the idea of relationships. The models would relate to each other — not look away, be half-asleep or be asleep. Then see how far I could take this idea.

I guide my models through various scenarios and sequences, like draping fabrics around each other, slowly dressing and undressing each other and embracing. My paintings are about the physical qualities of love. They are not about violence or exploitation.

Western art, from the Renaissance on, has mostly portrayed women as coyly gazing out at the spectator or patron. The women in my paintings are portrayed as more than passive vessels and objects of desire. I wanted my figures to be engaged with each other on an equal basis.

The figures and landscapes I paint are in watercolor. I work from life, but also use photos as the models move. From these references I incorporate the figures into scenes. I try not to pre-mix the colors, allowing them to mix directly on the paper.

I was born in New York City, but grew up in suburban New York. When I was a child we lived in Paris. I received a BFA from Illinois Wesleyan In Bloomington, and an MFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.

My watercolor and oil paintings have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States, including the Brooklyn Museum and Rotunda Gallery in Brooklyn, NY; The Seattle Erotic Art Festival, Seattle, WA; Searles Castle, Great Barrington, MA; Parkersburg Art Center, Parkersburg, W.Virginia; Lana Santarelli Gallery, Southampton, NY; and Contemporary Arts Gallery, New York University.