My recent work has been influenced by middle eastern aesthetic models rather than an European art historical perspective. My interest in Persian and Indian miniatures and eastern illuminated manuscript has been my major stylistic inspiration. These art forms represent the "art of the page", that is work which was created on paper to be viewed in the context of the book. Because of this aspect, that the image is illuminated on a "page", I find it important to present a full sheet of paper completely visible as a three dimensional object. Consequently, I float my sheets so the edges of the paper are visible. The stylistic elements of the gold lines and pattern design, accompanied with occasional gestural writings, represent further influences of eastern manuscript. The appearance of age in the work is also important aesthetically for me. The design elements and images appear to be in a process of being effaced or de-materializing. Because eastern manuscript was bound in books and subject to handling and damage, and not protected in frames as in an European fashion, examples of old manuscript often have wonderful qualities of rubbing, flaking, and water damage. These random effacements often add to the works interest and mystery. I feel these distressed qualities of the images and decorations in my work engenders a more ephemeral quality, hopefully evocative of an illusive spiritual nature. The images appear to be materializing and de-materializing simultaneously. Symbolism plays an important part in the works content.

Because these recent works are evocative of manuscript forms, the occasional inclusion of writings are added to suggest text or invocations of a purposely indecipherable nature. Occasionally samples of writing are surrounded with a gold "cloud motif" which is used in old middle eastern manuscript to identify a significant verse or passage.

The media employed in my recent work can be generally referred to as mixed media and collage on paper. Acrylic paint and gouache, ball point pen, pen and ink, are utilized. What appears to be "found" pieces of collaged pattern design are actually purposely designed for each work. I create the pattern design on a Macintosh computer with Adobe Illustrator and print them out on a color ink jet printer. The resulting piece is collaged onto the painting and then distressed and over painted to render the effect of age. I work on several different paintings at the same time. Because my working process is slow each piece requires time for the maturation process to occur.