I think the truest answer here is that not much influences my doodles. They just sort of happened on their own. Above is the basic evolution of my doodle process. It all began in 2004---doodling in black ink on white paper. After a few of those I naturally began to wonder: What if I add color first, and then draw over the painting? It progressed into subdued washes of watercolor backgrounds on top of which I drew with ink. From there it has been a steady continuation of that original method. Today, my doodles are far wilder in color. I paint more thickly using gouache and I also paint over some parts of the drawing and add touches of colored pencil to push the depth of the shapes and spaces.

Abstract art has been an interesting departure from my representational illustration work. I like that my doodles allow for multiple interpretations---some people see cells, bacteria, bubbles, etc. To me they feel like microscopic worlds or galactic worlds--like alien planets. But I do not try too hard to convey these things literally. My doodles are the one thing I feel like I am discovering entirely on my own---without outside things influencing how they should look or what they should become. Occasionally I take initial color inspiration for my doodles from other pieces of art that have exciting color palettes, but I never plan too heavily when I actually paint them. I just sort of begin painting and let it take me wherever it goes. The reason why I call them "doodles" is because I am truly "doodling" as I create them, drawing whatever I want to, in whatever order I want to ---with no pressure for it to look a certain way. That's the point of doing them---it is a very free process (unlike my illustration work which is VERY constrained by the needs of the project or story).

Q2: What is your favorite holiday movie?