Like the Old Masters, too, I paint in egg tempera and oil. In my art classes in the studios of the Wadsworth Atheneum, I began at the age of nine to learn the magic of their processes. I loved the smell of the oil paint, the connection with my subject through drawing, the soft luxurious feel of a finished egg tempera painting. Today, I become an alchemist when immersed in the multi-step process of mixing pigments, gesso, or shellac, particularly for egg tempera. Whether working in egg tempera, with the slow building of translucent layers, or in oil with more freedom for experimentation and longer drying time, the process intensifies my perception of the object, which is reflected in the finished piece. Both suit my style and subject matter.