Artist Statement for 'Strange Lands'

My work has always been about a varied cast of characters from birds and animals to hybrid creatures and fictional personages that exist somewhere between reality and imagination. As long as I can remember, this cast of characters both terrifying and humorous has been a part of my life. Monsters, ghost stories, horror movies, and dreams have fascinated me since childhood. Inspiration for these creatures and the strange lands they inhabit comes from many diverse sources including mythologies, animation, faire tales and sci-fi movies, for they are filled with hybrid creatures, shape shifters, heroes and villains. Essentially, my work is a search for a visual representation of this world inhabited by illusive yet familiar characters that could be beautiful and appealing, comical and at times terrifying and repulsive.