Painting is a form of prayer and meditation for me, leading me into the rhythms of creation. Painting keeps me centered on living responsibly with the animal and plant kingdom, acknowledging the sacred beauty of trees, birds, grass, rocks, sky and water.

My compositions are a visual reflection of deeper feelings and notes on joy, sorrow, humor and mystery. I prefer to leave the explanation of a composition to the viewer in order for them to have their own experience.

In this present year of 2024 I find myself absorbing the stories of displaced children and families… their shadows have crept up on me, shyly, and perched beside me. Like birds these families move onward against the currents of chance and change.

Whether planned or unplanned, leaving the place you were born because of a job relocation, a climate disaster, government upheavals or war ignites an urgency in seeking mercy, justice and understanding. Sometimes the only comfort a human finds while trying to make sense of life is in hearing the birdsong, feeling the grass, climbing a tree, holding leaves; reading the sky while the moon, sun and stars blink and shine.

Often times the paintings I map out begin as exercises to move me out of my head providing a rhythm in the brush strokes, details and colors. Time collapses and stretches beyond wide into a momentary trance of emotional clarity. Even when these compositions do not work out, I save them, wait and return cutting them apart into shapes and stories. This is how the bird collages came to be.