The paintings that leave the studio, the good ones, are usually done “a la prima” – i.e., in one sitting. What I most like about them is their freshness. They have a presence that seems fated, pre-destined, magical, and beyond design. This is a freshness that quickly dissipates if I work back into them. The paintings may have imperfections that I would like to change, but I have learned from experience to leave them as they are because their freshness more than makes up for the unresolved problems.

– 7/24/2004