I practice improvisational construction- I do not use patterns and prefer to cut pieces that I pin to a large design wall. I work until I like a composition and then figure out how to engineer the piece and sew it together. From my tailoring days I prefer very complex compositions that are difficult to construct. It is not unusual for me to stare a my wall for a very long time trying to figure out what shape to sew first. Piecing is my favorite form of a puzzle.

My work is directed by my emotions, and I am a somewhat half-empty, anxious person. The complexities of running a 35 person agency, the war in Syria, memory loss, Mexican violence, the Great Recession, mental illness and cancer have all informed my work. My art is a mirror into my soul, and sometimes it has been somewhat dark. I work in a series and often come back to a subject matter over and over.

I love the juxtaposition of spontaneity and precision. To get a composition to look free flowing and gestural demands great control and exactness. This is my holy grail and I still have not cracked that nut. But I continue to try. I do not applique or use any fusing whatsoever. All of my work is machine pieced and machine and hand stitched and while it would be far faster and easier to fuse fabric together, it is not a technique that I use.