The purpose of this series is to highlight the beauty in the ignored and disregarded elements that surround us in city life. Although this series was inspired by my surroundings in San Francisco, the paintings are intended to transcend a specific time or place. Since moving to San Francisco, I have completely fallen in love with city living. I walk along the city streets for my daily commute. I travel everywhere from the Haight to the Castro to the Mission to Civic Center to the Financial District to SOMA to Chinatown and all the way to North Beach. I am always immensely focused on the textures, patina, grunge, decay, bumps and curves that emphasize the history of the architectural structures surrounding us.  And yet, many city dwellers seem not to notice the beauty in the decay surrounding them. Another prime element that surrounds me on every step of my walks in the city are pigeons. Unlike us, pigeons seem to be very in touch and aware of their environment. Pigeons inhabit every city in the world, hiding in plain sight on lamp posts, in building alcoves, on fountains and even on parking meters. These throwaway birds that are likewise ignored and disregarded, find refuge on these taken for granted structures that surround us. By utilizing the city as their personal playground, these “rats of the sky” cause even more damage, decay and wear on the city that provides them their only shelter.  But alternatively, one could argue by utilizing these structures, pigeons honor the architecture more than we do. This series of paintings is the study of the dichotomy between these disparate views.