I’ve always been drawn to the human figure, expressive photography, and stories. Mixed media collages allow me to combine all of the elements of art and design that I love. Layering together textures, patterns, colors, and words lends to a unique outcome. My focus has primarily been on female subjects because I find the depths of mystery and power in a woman’s soul to be endless. These portraits to me are more than a likeness of someone. They are an opportunity to further express different facets of myself. I often juxtapose personal elements into these pieces, ultimately creating a self-portrait in a sense. I'm constantly exploring my own experiences and the ways they resonate in my life. By creating these portraits I am able to show the character I’ve created in my mind.   By focusing on the eyes and body language, the clothing and symbolism, and overall mood, I can truly express the nature of that person as I wish. Each one of my finished artworks is a collection of ideas and things pieced together to become a visually unified concept. Finding relationships between things where they didn’t exist before is an underlying theme in what I create. The parts are still individually meaningful, but as a whole, something else. The moments I feel the magic happening is when I find the perfect fit of paper scraps, mix the ideal color, or see the expression in a portrait come alive. I love playing with a mistake until it works, and more often than not, it is better than the original plan, as is in life. Knowing that I pushed past the difficult mental blocks and came out on the other side, is satisfying and refuels me to keep creating. My hope for each person who views my art is that it holds their attention, and has a message for them. I hope they find a connection to themselves and in essence to me. Art that speaks to souls and minds and not just eyes connects people. It is the most important art of all.