Artists are asked a lot of questions, but one question in particular can make us squirm: “What are you trying to say with your art?” Well, sometimes it’s a complicated dance, especially for abstract artists.

This actually is a common question asked by gallery owners, critics and journalists — and for a good reason. These professionals want to consider my artistic maturity, perseverance and audience awareness. The question is not just about what inspires me to paint, but what I want the viewer to see in and think about my artwork.

That being said, not every artist has a deep message to deliver about hard topics like politics, feminism, climate change, the environment, hunger, poverty, racism or anything else of a global magnitude. This genre of art is needed ("cause" art), and it often is placed in galleries, exhibitions or museums — public places — because it is so timely and contemporary. It creatively reflects what is happening in our world and is a catalyst to wake us up and create new conversations.

While I often go to these exhibitions and sometimes buy books about these movements, I personally want something different (more affirming, inspiring or contemplative) on my walls. And I want to create a different kind of art. And I believe my collectors and viewers are looking for that, too.

So what am I trying to say with my art? Like most people I’m a bundle of disconnects — structured and spontaneous, hard edged and kind, colorful and monochromatic. Somehow it all works together — these differences make me who I am.

My art is influenced by my personal contradictions and how I navigate and think about these ambiguities and the daily chaos I experience. I can say, then, that my paintings are intentional contrasts, layers of deliberate shapes, spontaneous brushstrokes and paper elements that express a joining of opposites, the strong connection that exists among disconnected things. As I move through the creative process, the words I often think about are unity, integration, tapestry, contrast, fusion, divergence, disparate, separation, mingled, diversity, synthesis, juxtapose, blended, interwoven, layered and together.

This is what I am saying with my art: That seemingly incompatible things can work together beautifully. And while my art can be bright and bold, or subtle and muted, I believe it is engaging art that people can love, and I enjoy helping people #FindArt2Love.