My painting for the Inspirations exhibition, Harvest, draws directly from the American Trompe L’Oeil tradition and from my formative years studying under Anthony Waichulis. The work reflects the structural discipline and perceptual rigor emphasized throughout my apprenticeship, particularly the careful orchestration of light, surface, and spatial relationships. The cracked plaster wall in the background serves as a deliberate nod to the illusionistic devices central to nineteenth-century American Trompe L’Oeil painters such as John F. Peto.

Many of the objects depicted—including the metal milk can, glass bottle, ceramic vessel, and fruit—were subjects I studied extensively during my early training. Their inclusion is both technical and personal: a continuation of lessons learned and a tribute to the lineage of artists committed to careful observation and the elevation of everyday objects. Harvest is intended as both homage and continuation—an acknowledgment of mentorship, tradition, and the enduring expressive potential of the still life.