My fascination with the idea of the tool as art has been a highly focused pursuit of mine and continues to fascinate me because tools dictate how we live our lives.  Each day is the first day of the rest of your life and I live and make art in relation to this philosophy.

Painting with one of my own hand made ringtail cat hair brushes on a semi-wet clay surface is a magical motion.  It reminds me of seeing a surfer riding a wave in continuous motion relying on natures force to dictate the flow and out come of the perfect wave.

My ceramic experiences of learning about and living in the Japanese culture have allowed

me to appreciate the tremendous beauty in nature's imperfectness.  As a mix media artist I utilize the proper materials to best fit the ideas in a particular moment of time.  I'm drawn to the Asian culture and its universal appreciation to details and craftsmanship.

The aspect of the plasticity of the clay and the risk of placing a ceramic object into the fire captivates me.  There are not many traditional oil painters that would place a painting in a fire and expect to be anything in the end!

My concepts related to the hand made brush have spanned from the singular brush as a work of art to allowing my body to become the brush itself.

The "hunt" for art materials from the natural environment pulls me in allowing natures imperfectness to resonate through the art I create.  When combing the beach of washed up bamboo & driftwood from the river beds after a hard rain, my eyes hone in on subtle curves, colors and patterns that feel good to the touch and would make both a comfortable and beautiful brush handle. This weathered material is gold to me.  The fit of a handle in the palm of my hand is important to the general feeling and direction the final brush stroke will take.