I love trees and marvel at their relationship with one another and all living things. Once felled by humans or nature a tree continues to nourish life as it decays. The forest offers an abundance of sounds and scents, shapes, forms, and colors. Environments influence my work. Integrating materials is critical to my practice. I collect, carve, burn, and surface design twigs, sticks, branches, and trunks with colored pencils, paints, stains, dyes, and pastels. I collect rust from everywhere- the beach, roadsides, the forest floor, and as gifts from friends and family. In the studio, I explore different combinations of elements working on some pieces for months. I always have multiple pieces under construction simultaneously. Making something every day is a meditative process that generates boundless joy.