My art is the way I explore ideas concerning relationships, the environment and culture. Over the years, I have developed a personal visual language that uses symbolism and surrealism to transform my subject matter into archetypal images. I have been told this gives my work a mythical quality making them both timely as well as timeless. I am often asked where I find inspiration for my artwork. In answer to this, I would say life is full of inspiration and I find it wherever I happen to be. It may be when I am traveling in other countries, or when I lived in China, or here in the States. I find if I look to nature, ideas for new work are all around me. I have found inspiration looking at trees that were peeking through a window in a thoughtfully crafted room in Japan. I was inspired by a sweet-faced mud-covered cow I saw standing by a road in Thailand. A delightful, spotted creature running through the woods in the States, has sparked new ways of thinking. These are just a few examples, and their resulting artwork can be seen in my Landscape, Cosmic, and (e)Xtrasensory Series'. When I am thinking about what my mission as an artist is, I have to say that I strive to create work that is aesthetically and emotionally meaningful. The fact that I portray all living beings as equals to be considered and valued is very important to me both as an artist and a person.