There is something about drawing with a soft pencil on a velvet-like surface that cannot be matched. No matter what is going on in my head or what stress I have in my life, touching pencil to paper soothes me. It is direct, low-tech and flows from within. My recent drawings are created mostly with graphite––the marks are delicate and quiet. Intricately drawn patterns suggesting wallpaper are combined with a figure, often female. In "Glare" the subject, deep in thought, is placed in a lush garden surrounded by plants and against a tall fence filled with pattern. In the drawing, congested patterns are paired empty areas described with only contour line, further adding to the sense of quiet and order. I enjoy the obsessive, time consuming nature of this kind of drawing. When I am drawing, I am most directly in touch with my inner thoughts which often manifest themselves in the subject of the work.