Metal has a particular enchantment to it; its richness, its history, its aggressiveness, its versatility, and its temperament.  I'm inspired by the traditions behind casting and the vast range of methods used across the world and throughout time.  Any form of art allows and demands constant learning and growing.  With casting there is always more to learn and new methods to explore and also invent.  Metal is the material that most intrigues me and I feel equally challenged and at peace by manipulating it. It requires an abundance of patience and concentration that I am unable to maintain in most other aspects of my life.  

I, like many others, create because I am compelled to on an emotional and physical level.  I feel a sense of completion, pride, and fulfillment not just when I finish a piece, but every step of the way.  The objects that I make are a part of who I am. They are what I want to be.  They are my children.  I will live through them forever.  They are my vessels into the future and they are time capsules of my now.  They are manifestations of everyone before me just as much as myself.

I began casting in 2006 which coincided with the first time in my life that I had not been a dancer in over a decade.  I was just as interested in the process of casting as I was in the end result since it seemed to be a very carefully choreographed dance with fire, a variety of people of various skills and backgrounds, and thousands of years of history and traditions.  Now my pieces are seen as being directly influenced by the body in movement.  I am exploring the ability of combining ancient knowledge, patience, physical labor, and parts of myself to transform a confrontational and unyielding material into a beautiful, often feminine, piece of work that brings the illusion of movement to a static piece.