Nominated by North Park University  I look forward, into the possibilities, the consequences, the experience of the unknown I must go forward it is inevitable, to keep going because there is no turning back A step forward means letting go, the end of, but also the beginning I step forward into waves, that change the fragility of what is not yet the point where I can only imagine Like how I imagine myself, Here, on the shore of the sea My most recent works are made through the process of fumage. A technique inspired by the fire painter Steven Spazuk. This technique is done by burning the surface of wood, paper, or canvas by the use of candle light flame and a torch. It is burned to the point where a layer of soot covers the surface. It is then erased/etched with the use of tools such as needle point, brushes, and erasers. The stone has been a major subject in my work. It is mundane yet I have found it to be profoundly meaningful in my life and of life. It has become a symbol, a metaphor, a portrait. It began as a daily practice of art making. A project brought out from a class from North Park University. We were encouraged to do something creative everyday, a finished piece, as a way to create a habit of making. Through this process, I pondered what it was about a rock that got my attention. The formal qualities, the shape, size, texture, color, to its history and function really made it interesting to me. Thinking of how the stone was formed  to how it is being weathered away. A stone can represent so many different ideas and concepts. My hope is that the viewer will journey with me as I uncover and discover its attributes. Image: Untitled (soot on illistration board), 2015