Etching was a passion of mine for many years. This earlier period of work harbored an emotional breadth and depth rooted in my childhood, and portrays an unusual beauty through melancholia. Requiring an intense layering process, creating each piece had the feel of a psychological dig. Drawn in by those relationships lying beyond the ordinary field of awareness, I would at times conjure up my own past to incorporate elements of personal meaning. The integration of such things as x-rays, dolls, birds, and ephemeral memorabilia came naturally for me. While seeking both intimate and thought-provoking imagery, I found connection with the worlds of both matter and spirit, a channel through which I might find an alternative healing and balance in my life. I continue to employ a similar approach in the more contemporary abstract work I produce today.