ARTISTIC STATEMENT: "Water, in all its forms and as an indicator of life, is at the source of this work. I begin by using layers of oil paint, thinned to the consistency of flow, to create a sense of place that feels fluid or imbued with water. I can direct the flow, but in large part allow the colors and shapes to weave themselves into place. I then study this world I've created by imagining a life form that may survive within it. I tease this imagery out, and bring it to the surface. Often, there is a sense that something catastrophic, or uncontrollable, has happened, and life barely clings. Fragility is a permanent state."