In ancient stories, animals acted as wise counselors, and birds carried prayers and thoughts to other realms.  Animals also hold a sacred place in my life, where they act as healers and guides, giving form to my deepest thoughts and feelings.

In my paintings of birds and animals, I convey each creature's beauty, elegance, and that undefinable quality that calls to the human soul.  Painting is like walking in two worlds.  These worlds might be described as physical and spiritual, conscious and unconscious, or internal and external.  On my journey between worlds, I am directed by the archetypal powers of the animals and by the knowledge that whatever direction I head is the right one.  The successful journey leads to the finished product, as well as to personal transformation.

The process of transformation is a kind of alchemy, a procedure by which base metal was turned into gold  My paintings often include gold, as well as oil pigments.  I begin by studying photographs I have taken in the wild or in parks and zoos  These are the starting points.   Working on paper or on linen canvas, I overlay images one upon another, allowing each to contribute its unseen power to the final form.

Interacting with the surface is critical to my work, and my involvement there propels me to that realm beneath, where creation takes place.  In that bottomless world of mystery, the materials interact with my psyche and emotions to produce beauty, order, balance, structure and detail.  The final stages are a combination of realism and abstraction, as well as symbolism and mythology.

My paintings are a celebration of the magnificence of the natural world and a prayer for the preservation of all wild creatures.