Layers and textures and stretching my view of objects is very similar to my work as a psychologist. It’s no coincidence that I spent many years painting, printmaking and creating collages before I became a therapist.

For the past 30 years, I have helped people peel away layers of their past, look at each layer in detail for patterns and repetitions. I have worked to clarify hidden meanings and to stretch a person’s desires and potential to their fullest, to think outside of the box and to keep what is dear and put aside the unnecessary. People remain who they are at their core, but have more freedom to develop the best parts. This is a process of deconstruction and reconstruction with careful attention and deep feelings. I experience a parallel process when I create art.

When I travel, I take photos and sometimes sketch. Once back in my studio, I choose a scene from a trip, and imagine and then plan my print or collage with an eye to contrast and rhythm and color. This is an intuitive process. Sometimes I add layers of tracing paper, various rice papers, netting, thread and maybe gold foil from a chocolate bar. I might also use an iridescent medium. I wait a bit and look at the work again. Then, I might stitch on the image the way I would a quilt. Often, I return to the prints and collages and re-work them. When the image feels and looks balanced in nuances, contrasts and “music”, it is finished.