When Cedric Tai looks at his completed paintings for his upcoming show, "Start Somewhere," he sees conversations.

Tai has converted conversations with friends that linger in his head into something tangible in his reversed-style Plexiglas paintings.

"The conversations happen every day, but I just always come across something that astounds me about life," Tai said.

"Start Somewhere" is about first brush strokes and how first words evolve. He chose the title for his exhibit because he has to start from scratch every time he begins a new piece. Tai described it as very process-oriented work.

"It has to do with letting the mistakes help make the work and just allowing the piece to evolve," he said.

He doesn't always know when to stop but tries to perceive what should be added to the painting by following what he sees.

"The painting starts having its own life and starts giving its own directions," he said.

Still, Tai manages to let past conversations carry his work, allowing him control over the process of making the pieces. Often, the conversations he has painted took place with friends in different majors and are about how certain themes cross disciplines.

"There's millions of ideas that interconnect in so many ways ... These little connections spark something in my mind that I can make visual," Tai said.

He hopes people will take in details of his paintings when the exhibit opens Sunday.

"A lot of my pieces, I think, take a lot of time to really look at," he said.

The opening reception for "Start Somewhere" is 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday at Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbott Road. The exhibit is up until May 25 and will be open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. For more information, call (517) 333-2580.