Many cultures have had rituals that honor and respect the importance of living species.  In ancient Egypt, for instance, beloved pets were mummified and buried with their owners in the belief that this would preserve their souls, their stories, and their significance forever.  My ritual as an artist involves drawing animals with people. My portraits show respect and concern for nature in terms of contemporary life.

The ancient Egyptians also depicted gods and goddesses as half animal and half human, showing how powerful they thought nature was.  I am showing the same kind of respect for animals by combining them with people. Half animal/half human, my subjects symbolize the environmental realities we face. I am adapting mythology to express a modern concern.

My portraits function as a reminder that all living creatures are a part of our human selves, and as a reminder of the heroic call for preservation today.  All species, including humans, are interdependent. We cannot avoid or ignore nature; we must respect it, embrace it, and share it, and - beyond that - we must be one with it.