Analyzing the meaning of insects' place in the world by manipulating scale, color and focus of importance, I questioned their intrinsic value. The ongoing wars and local atrocities reported in the daily headlines begged the question of our own smallness, vulnerability, and isolation. Putting small scale human figures in "insect" like peril draws the analogy of our own expendability. There is a sickening whimsy in seeing the individual indefensible against the unseen, immense destructive force which is human civilization itself. The ultimate irony, no more absurd than a painted image of a tiny human pinned like a beetle in a display case, is to hear a news report that a newborn was found in a dumpster wrapped in plastic. I want these small paintings to serve as reminders of how easy it is to ignore human suffering.

Flowers are ephemeral and fragile, making them a profound symbol of mortality. There exists a sensual and mysterious relationship between insects and flowers. A single flower, in itself, is a potent evocative image. Humans have attributed ideals of love, beauty, and sex to flowers for our known history, yet the sunsuality of flowers is always their own private affair. They are quiet, as are the insects who know them so intimately. Humans make the mistake of assuming that our lives and relationships are more significant than those of the other things which share the earth.

This body of work, titled "Origins," is executed in style reminiscent of illustration to emphasize the narrative element. The works draw from stories of the Judeo-Christian tradition, but sets them in a contemporary context to reflect their universal meaning. Our nation and our world are so heavily influenced by these tales that there is relevance in them for anyone despite their nation of origin, sex, or religion.

"Origins" explores women's issues and the nature of good and evil. This body of work opens philosophical questions pertaining to the problems that arise when trying to attribute values upon neutral forces. Good, evil, righteous and damned are human constructs inflicted upon elements created by nature.