My paintings use metaphors that are steeped in the natural imagery of tree anatomy- the tree of life that has had reoccurring usage throughout history. I use this imagery to probe into the argument that surrounds the nature/nurture dialectic, including the subject of chance and fate. Strings that have been saturated in red paint are randomly dropped onto a blank canvas; a chance occurrence in placement.

This configuration is then used to determine the compositional aspects of each work. A construct takes form using actual tree roots and branches as well as fabrics, strings, and other materials. This wall-mounted construct is assembled from the structure inherent in the chance placement of the random red lines on the canvas. Each painting uses this individual construct as model.

The use of the real objects in the constructs counterbalances the illusion of the painted surface. The canvas thus becomes a confluence in the merging of these concepts as the images of the trees morph into images of internal human systems, as well as other familiar patterns. Each work, even as part of a series, maintains its own identity, as it is in development that particularity emerges.