Simple parameters provide me with a complex process: It begins with searching for old deadwood possessing unique form.
I accelerate the aging process further by weathering or a controlled burn.
Using power tools, I create channels for grafting a young tree into the remaining trunk.
The appearance of surviving centuries of harsh climate is achieved through ancient bonsai techniques of wiring, pruning, tying, and defoliation.
I utilize dramatic lighting to document new life growing out of and merging with the old wood.
My goal in painting each piece is to convey a beauty that emerges from rising above the suffering of existence.