I have always questioned, along with my friends and family, my fascination with death, bones, and artifacts of all kinds since I have a habit of collecting them. Skulls are most commonly perceived as symbols of death, with good reason. When one dies all that remains are a skull and bones. However, it dawned on me that my curiosity and deep interest in these remains lie in the fact that for me, they symbolize life. I see a skull as a once living creature, be it man or animal. It sparks a fierce curiosity in me as to who/what that being was. Where did it go in its life and what did it see and eat? It amazes me that these things have a history, they once carried flesh, blood, and a being. There is no more fascinating a process to me than that of decay and decomposition, because all things in this world will eventually meet this fate.
The things in life that we cannot see are what intrigue me most. The underground interconnected network of mycelium from mushrooms that break down organic matter. Tree root systems that keep our soil in place. Delicate microscopic diatoms, single celled organisms that when viewed through a microscope reveal beautiful and intricate glass like structures and design. These are a few of the things that inspire me to work in miniature. Objects that you can hold in your hand and inspect are most intimate and captivating.
The adaptations of earth's organisms truly amaze me. How life can exist in the most extreme conditions and environments. There are organisms that withstand subzero or boiling temperatures, extreme altitudes, complete darkness, and toxic environments. Even human beings have lived through seemingly impossible circumstances. There is nothing more inspiring to me than reading survival stories of crashes or being lost in the wilderness and humans persevering. It awakens one to the infinite capabilities of the human mind, body and spirit. I am still struggling as an artist to find ways to perfectly illustrate the many fascinations that I find in the natural world through my work. Now that I have carefully pinpointed what they are, I will take the next steps.

"The observation of nature is part of an artist's life, it enlarges his for [and] knowledge, keeps him fresh and from working only by formula, and feeds inspiration." -Henry Moore