He aims to distill his imagery to a point of powerful emotional resonance while maintaining a deep sense of mystery, allowing the viewer's experience to be an important part of completing the picture. While his works span many outward subjects, the recurrent subject is the richness and radiant beauty hidden beneath the surface of the observed world, the vastness of the interior worlds, and the resonance between the two. Opdenbrouw was born and raised in San Jose CA, earned an arts degree from the Academy of Art in San Francisco, and is currently based in Oakland.