My gourd art originates from two distinct classifications idea-inspired or gourd-inspired. Once an idea materializes I become driven to complete the work while the vision is still clear in my mind. It is not of great importance to me as the artist whether the work is idea-inspired or gourd-inspired yet I have discovered viewers demand their curiosity be satisfied. For this reason pieces completed after 1998 are symbolically marked with the finch bird signature.

Idea-inspired pieces are those pieces born most often around 4 AM during REM sleep and transferred immediately to paper. Often hundreds if not thousands of gourds must be searched through to select the perfect gourd for creating the piece. Because idea-inspired gourd art comes most often during sleep the idea-inspired pieces are signed with a finch bird having no eye.

Gourd-inspired pieces are those born when a gourd "speaks". Often while in search of the perfect gourd for some other idea-inspired piece one of the hundreds of gourds will catch the eye and create an instant vision of what it will be when it is completed. Increasingly my idea-inspired work comes from young gourds still on the vine and involves manipulating their growth to achieve the desired outcome. My gourd-inspired work is identified by the eye in the finch bird signature symbolizing the fact that the particular gourd was seen before the vision for the piece became clear.

I confess a conspiracy does exist between nature and the artist.