Texture is probably the most dominant visual in my paintings.  I love how a painting can evoke feeling and anything that helps a painting speak to the viewer is amazing to me.  When I am at a show I can sit back and watch people reach out to touch the paint without thinking, just stopping themselves (hopefully).  They know not to touch, it could be wet, or damaged if they did- but the texture draws them in to the point that it is hard not to.  I love to exagerate this captivating element.  Outlining, shadowing and pushing the color so it to wants to leap off the canvas.  Keeping other areas flat but having the image look three dimensional.  One painting from my tree series was painted where you were looking up and someone commented how after staring so long it had made them feel dizzy.  Later they came back and bought it with appreciation of the effect it had on them.  I love that.