Farming in the coastal range of northern California, the seeds I sow grow up beautifully strong. They then rot and die, and in their death set seed for the future. My body and the work of my hands are subject to the same cycles and seasons determined by the dynamic qualities of light and shadow. Living on the edge of the wild forest and working in the fields in the ever-changing elements has humbled me to exhaustion and exaltation. Never am I allowed to forget that all things are connected. Through painting I dig deep into experience that I have no other language to describe. Time is stopped for awhile as I explore my inspiration further. Through representation in the two-dimensional plane, a color and sensation without words or description can be integrated into my life in a physical way. Then I am able to move forward from this experience into the void of the next blank space with a greater understanding of who I am and what I am doing here on this earth. I create a lasting vision born of my own hands, while believing that only mystery is eternal. -be 2018