My recent body of work leads the viewer on a personal journey into the desert to confront issues of emptiness and paralyzing indecision resulting from traumatic experiences. It deals with profound loss, the inability to cope and the courage to press on regardless.

Barren represents an empty, fruitless area of life where everything good that could possibly be taken away, has been, or will be, stripped away.

When faced with life altering decisions, we are essentially alone and lost in a frightening desert of our own misery. I find it interesting that here in the United States we give our deserts foreboding names such as, "Truth or Consequences" and "Death Valley," implying that if you make the wrong decision, all will be lost.

Which way do we turn, and does it really make any difference?

Sometimes fate intervenes, and we find ourselves thrust into a pit of despair. In this case, not acting could have dire consequences. Our only option is to keep moving forward regardless of how meaningless it might seem. We must climb our way out of the financial, environmental, physical or emotional pit.