The beauty of the world leaves me stunned and distracted. Sometimes I have to turn off this aesthetic ecstasy, but in art I can let it fly.

Much of my work is focused on insects. They are everywhere, and although they sometimes bother us, they are just trying to make their way in the world like everyone else. They are small, but their bodies have very complex shapes and structures. The more closely you look, the more wondrous they become.

I have been captivated by printmaking, bewitched by etching. The luscious paper. The smell of the ink. The embossment made by the plate, and the melding of ink and paper into one. The stately procession of steps to a traditional etching. The thrill of turning the wheel of the press, folding back the blankets, and gently lifting the paper to see what has appeared.

I honor the history of fine art printmaking, with its quiet emotional connection and intimate involvement with the viewer, but this is a world of working within limitations.

In digital art, anything can happen as an image develops. The principle of multiple layers is similar to using multiple plates or drops in traditional printmaking, but goes way beyond it in the potential for complex expression. Ordinary items may move beyond recognition into abstract tropes and ornaments. I am especially interested in interweaving patterns and textures to establish an emotional background for an image.

So I flip back and forth between the old traditions of etching, and the new technology of our own age.