I have always been drawn to animal subject matter.

I was pretty much non-hearing/hearing-impaired from an early age, which left me wondering if the connection with animals was because I couldn't easily connect with humans. The animals on the farm offered me a friendship that didn't rely on verbal communication. 

Secondly, for me, storytelling is the most important part of painting; when you walk through your living room, you should be giving a museum tour. These pieces are not only decoration. There is an innate personality to them and the creatures that inhabit them.