Discovering the many ways and possibilities that the clay can be manipulated, and which types of armatures work best, my experimentation has rewarded me as I've grown and developed a sculptural method toward arenas where the use of Fimo-clay is unexpected. Since beginning my work with Fimo-clay, I've expanded my building vocabulary to the point where I can create portraits of individuals, or animals. I also recently completed a large public commission at the new Comer Children's Hospital in Chicago, where I created 16 character-based sculptural shoes depicting people from all over the Chicago area, along with a larger mixed-media sculptural rendering of the Hospital itself.

My artistic focus, however, remains character design; characters that engage one, and look directly at the viewer, with a gaze that is surprisingly complex, fun, sexy, and warm. My favorites are my "Lady" characters, very loosely based on my Aunts, with a dollop of old-fashioned Hollywood glamour on top. For inspiration, I am drawn to a diverse body of artists and references: from puppeteers like Jim Henson and Bill Baird, but also the imaginative visions of Calder and Disney. For color, I'm drawn to the work of Frieda Kahlo and Van Gogh, the alluring fin-de-siecle decadence of Tolouse-Lautrec. Degas is also an influence, along with the emotive diversity of feeling found in artists like Goya, Diane Arbus, and even Norman Rockwell. Principally, however, my eye is my own, and while I admire these artists, I view their work as starting points for my own inspiration.