In graduate school I pursued universal symbols and meanings of crisis-opportunity. I have continued to build on these ideas. Key words describing my art are colorful, soul-searching, survival, gratitude, individuals, visualized emotions, and symbolic universal metaphors. Each drawing or painting has a story behind it. Life-long learning and academics are of major importance to me. There is gratifying excitement in creating and transforming paper, canvas, or other surfaces into a one-of-a-kind work of art. I work in various media such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, ink, and mixed media. I paint with both hands as I work. I allow the art to take over. Sometimes my art has been described as Jungian. Karl Jung was a psychologist who believed that the soul was involved in creating. One of my favorite sayings by an unidentified person is as follows: "A craftsmen works with his hands. An artisan works with his hands and his heart. An artist works with his hands, and his heart, and his soul."