The majority of my artwork comes about through the wielding of my ink pen on a blank sheet of paper, although I love the lushness of color and paint itself, and occasionally indulge in painting. The essence of my work is the spontaneous creativity I am involved in during its formation. That is why the drawing media is most appropriate to me - a painting relies more heavily on some planning, some vision of how it will complete itself and how the colors play on one another. As I begin a drawing, no matter it's size or how ambitious, I allow personal influences and reactions to a given photograph or image (my 'subject') to guide it's recreation on my page. Sometimes the interest is inherent in the expression or pose of the subject. Other times through its multiplication or repetition the meaning is expanded or changed. Once a drawing or painting begins to project a definite mood, or present unique possibilities, I begin making decisions as to the best solutions to express whatever is emerging. While I explore many formal elements - space, contrast, texture, color, etc. - continually in my work, the use of the human element allows it to surpass a formalistic or aesthetic exercise.