Where do we get our understanding of language and concepts? Years ago, when I worked as a technical writer, I received a company dictionary and was told that my writing could only use the words it contained. It made me wonder how abstract concepts could be conveyed without any using words at all. Now, as an artist, I am creating my own version of a visual dictionary, in which I define words and concepts with imagery rather than with other words. I particularly like to play with words that have multiple meanings. My artworks typically have political or social connotations, industrial connections, commentary on the art world or a purer reference to the physical world.

Quilted elements appear in each piece because people connect with quilting on a deep emotional level. Rather than surfaces to be decorated, I treat the quilts as raw materials, creating the lines, planes and forms of my designs. I prefer working with bold, bright colors because they provide a high level of excitement and energy. Many times, I play with the scale of an object to increase its importance. Humor is also a large part of my work.

My ideas come from a wide range of influences, including scientific imagery and the works of Eva Hesse and Robert Rauschenberg. The result is a new way of looking at quilts, which takes them into the realm of conceptual art and sculpture.