In elementary school my teacher told me that I would never be an artist because I couldn’t stay within the lines. My creativity was not nurtured until I got to college, when, in a basic art history course, I had to paint a picture, build a model house, and make a sculpture out of clay. The sculpture assignment captivated me, and I was hooked. Art became my minor. College sculpture courses exposed me to the universal shapes and patterns which are found in the tribal and natural worlds.

Tribal power figures can curse or protect. They are strong, full of black or white magic, and may elicit a smile or fear. My spiritual power figures are meant to be positive and healing. Our culture ignores the strength of tribal images and accepts a scientific model. My response to science is my imagination or subconscious. Tribal art is based on life and death rituals. I honor the wisdom and power of these ancient vanishing cultures.