Growth as an artist is directly related to the acceptance of one’s self as an individual who dresses, talks, visualizes and creates differently from any other human. In fact, we are unique functioning designs. The more I embrace this the more freedom I exhibit as an artist. Understanding this, coupled with the history of art and a working knowledge of technical and visual language skills, enables me to create. These distinct aesthetic and sociological experiences create values and circumstances that shape my life and in turn impact my artwork. It is the pursuit of this individualism that is important to me. All artists are connected by history, visual elements, and principles of design. However, it is who we are and how we visually interpret the environment that creates our individual identities as artists. Growing up in rural Mississippi was challenging. Traditions such as storytelling, family, and faith had a tremendous affect in shaping my work. These traditions and experiences shaped my values. I see it as a refreshing force in a world that can sometimes be cold, static and impersonal. My philosophy is a balance between intellect and superstition, science and magic, New York and Mississippi. Currently, I am involved with a more sculptural approach to the vessel and recently have returned to a mixed media form of painting and drawing.