In 2001 my daughter began going to college at Northern Michigan University in Michigans Upper Peninsula. My wife and I had the opportunity to take long walks through some of the most rugged and untamed forested areas in the United States. At one point I realized that I just had to make some paintings of this place. The results have piqued the interest of many of my artist friends who have been surprised that I would go in the direction of the traditional landscape. I really have enjoyed making these paintings. They have helped me appreciate the act of painting in a new way.