What are you reading?

I'm constantly reading periodicals such as Art News, Art on Paper, Art Forum, to keep up on what's going on in the art world. I also just finished a book called "Collecting Contemporary" by Adam Lindemann. ... I'm currently reading "Museum of the Missing," by Simon Houpt, a really cool book about all the art that's been stolen from private museums and collections over the past 40 years. ... Then I'm reading "De Kooning: An American Master" by Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan. I also like interior design, so I just got "The Hawaiian House Now," by Malia McManus. ... And on my nightstand is "The Works of Edward Ruscha" by Dave Hickey. They all at some point travel with me from the coffee table to the bedroom to the office.

What inspired you to pick them up?

The common thread is art, whether interior design with "The Hawaiian House Now," or with the De Kooning and Ruscha books, finding out the chronological aspects of their life and work. I guess all the books I'm reading at any time may not all be great, but they serve a purpose of knowledge.

How does all that information get synthesized into your paintings in such a focused way?

I'm known for being a landscape artist, but the secret side of me is that I've also been working on a series of abstract work for years — it's very personal, and it is fractured, and that's something I don't show too many people. ... I'm focused on one thing but by having all these separate entities to read, I'm gathering information that I can put into my passions.