VISION and INSPIRATION

My work grows from a deep attraction to the colors (subtle as well as obvious) that appear in nature. This attraction is coupled with my spiritual beliefs stemming from both Taoism and Celtic tradition. Both recognize our necessary relationship with nature, where nature affects us just as much as we affect it. Taoism emphasizes going with the flow of the unnamed sensations or impetus which we find around us; these are heightened in natural settings. Celtic tradition draws upon notions of genius loci¸ the spirit of the place, and anima loci, the place-soul; because all local land has been touched by some human event, all land carries these spiritual qualities. Similarly, Shintoism, the indigenous spiritual belief in Japan, recognizes the spirit, or deity, in all natural forces and things that exist alongside people. My art, whether representational or abstract, tries to tap into the flow of a place, real or imagined, in order to capture its essential animus.