‘Kohan ni Shitagau’ is a basic principle in Japanese garden design which asks us to listen to the land to see what action to take. I love that; it seemed natural to apply that to all areas of my life. I studied everything from garden design to Judo. I had a crazy sense of balance when I was younger and although I didn’t formally attend, became the lead sparring partner for the West Point Judo team. I found myself studying many of the principles borne of this culture that surfaced in unexpected and profound ways. At age thirty-three, I started painting. I literally woke up from a dream and pursued the creation of what I saw in that dream. The result was a fifteen year run of 3 dimensional birchwood wall sculptures which were exhibited in over forty-five galleries nationwide. They all had windows and recreated European scenes of gathering places where life unfolded.

Another influence on me has been the cinematic arts. I love film and have been fortunate to attend many film festivals around the world. There, I get as much stimulation and inspiration from watching what unfolds on the screen as I do from the cities, towns and people. I believe this enlarges my heart…and then we get an opportunity to share and build worthy connections with others. I believe this is where we can “find” ourselves. This is what I like to explore in my work.