Many artists state that nature is the inspiration for their art. The same is true for me, but nature is very vast. How can I narrow it down to the part of nature that I am drawn to? That's easy. I have rooted myself to the farm where I grew up and spent most of my life so far. I haven't thought of what part of this farm inspires me until I looked back on the body of my work throughout my life. I find that the trees that grow around me are the common thread to my work.

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I have seen some trees grow almost unseen over years. I have seen some grow old or become diseased and die. I look at them every day and cannot escape admiring the branching qualities of sycamores, the tangled roots of the walnuts and oaks that grow creekside and through rocks, the bark of the shellbark hickory, and the leaves that change with the seasons and the weather. I pay attention to the fungal growth on old and battered trunks and soil near roots. The organic petal-like forms intrigue me.

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But there is more to the farm besides the trees. I have been drawn to the body shapes of the animals that we have raised. During my college years, I focused on chickens and geese. I had always kept them as pets and suppliers of eggs when I was young. Their rounded forms and how they interacted together inspired clay sculpture and mixed-media work.

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Recently, I have explored the forms of cattle as they are resting and ruminating with clay and pastel. I intuitively have been following the advice I often gave my students: "Draw from what you know." The subject matter never gets old. There is always something new to explore or something familiar that I can investigate from a different point of view.