I create art because it helps me to connect with the world around me.  To create art I am forced to slow down and really look, to observe and reflect and then translate what I see in my own unique way.   The peace and beauty found in the natural world is what fuels me as an artist.  I begin a piece by reflecting on the splendor around me.  There can never be enough loveliness in the world.  By creating art I am able to contribute in some way. I hope to convey the vibrancy of life through my work.  When I work with hot wax and dye I am reminded that life is amazing and unpredictable.  While the dye is fluid and free, the hot wax is ridged and final.  The hot wax and dye play against each other in order to create an amazing texture. I have little idea what a piece will look like until all the wax is removed and the organic lines appear creating a rhythm of their own.  My current work is filled with images of trees reaching out and up, birds singing, rivers running through landscapes, mountain tops and big skies attempting to bring light on what I find as beautiful.  Art is like good food and fresh air and happiness.