My paintings are created from collages of familiar images—pop culture icons and symbols. I may start out with a title as a theme and collect images to support it; or, I may start out with a bunch of images that I think would go well together, and then come up with a title. I don't do a study, so I never know how those images are going to come together as a painting until I'm finished. In other words, I could scan the images and play with them on a computer to see how they would look best as a painting (do a study). Instead, I prefer the element of using my instinct in making a commitment to the images as a collective without knowing how they'll look together until the painting is finished. A lot of times as the painting is coming along, I may think I don't like the way that looks, or I should have done it this way! I have to accept the direction the painting is going and solve some problems that I may have with it. In the end I'm usually surprised and excited about the outcome.