"The Resonance of Hope" acrylic, 3 hours. (12x16)

This abstract work is meant to depict the myth of Pandora's Box. In the legend, when Pandora opens the box, dark emotions fly out into the world, leaving the single emotion of Hope at the bottom. I used dark colors in the background, but tried to make the color apparent, because though dark emotions are dark, they are also powerful. The solid white square represents the box, a solid container. Finally, the light hope spirals out, in a free pattern that looks to be growing larger and larger. 

"Apotheosis of Heracles" colored pencil/graphite, approx. 14 hours. (12x16, approx)

This piece depicts the moment when Heracles (the Roman Hercules) transitions from man to god. Along the edges are small panels depicting a symbol of each of the 12 labors of Heracles, as if they were etched in stone. The famous Nymean Lion is draped over his shoulders, but he moves to remove it, symbolizing the removal of his mortal skin. Gold accents highlight the whole piece to create a feeling of prominence. This was part of my concentration, as the "Rise of Man."

"Through the Window" ink/watercolor, approx. 8 hours. (10 x 14)

This piece was entered for the Congressional Art Competition. I tried to capture the vibrancy and life of the two frogs. I used sharp shadows underneath their feet to give the illusion that they were jumping out of a window. The background was chosen as a colorful, but slightly more subdued, compliment to the striking colors of the two frogs. 

"Kumulipo" ink, 3 hours. (16in x 7in)

This piece is a second piece in the "Creation" section of my concentration. It is based in the Hawaiian chant, the Kumulipo, that details their creation myth. There were a series of births, in each of which there was a new type of animal or plant. The creatures are depicted in roughly the order the appear in the chant, ending with the creation of man and woman. I used bright, tropical colors, and tribal markings to create a feeling of the native culture. I like this piece because of its complex designs and flow,, but I think that the addition of another color would have made it a little more even.

"Mother" watercolor and ink, 5 hours. (12in x 12in)

This piece is part of the "Creation" section of my concentration, and it is the goddess Coatlicue of Aztec mythology. In her legend, she was impregnated by a ball of feathers, and gave birth to the moon, sun, and stars. She is considered the Aztec "Mother Earth." She is usually depicted with clawed hands and feet, a snake skirt, full breasts, and a necklace of hands, hearts and skulls. I chose to leave out the skulls, because even though she has some morbidity about her, I felt they drew the contrast too close to something macabre. In another part of the Aztec creation myth, her head is chopped off, and two snakes sprout in its place. What I enjoy about this piece is the contrast between the often fierce and dangerous Aztec spirit, but the beauty of birth. 

"Words" watercolor and ink, approximately 6-8 hours. (approx. 16in x 20in)

This piece is part of the "Rise" section of my concentration and comes from the Norse myth regarding their language. They believed that the runes they used had divine origins. In the center of the piece is the Yggdrasil, a tree that connected all nine realms of the Norse world. Each of those 9 realms is represented by a different color, with the 1st color repeated once at the bottom to continue the idea of connections. The colors reappear in the branches and trunk of the tree, as well in its leaves. I enjoyed the piece because I was able to try several different techniques within one piece, although I would have liked the background colors (especially on the bottom) to have blended more smoothly.

"Prometheus" ink on colored paper and watercolor, 4 hours. (10in x 10in)

This piece is part of the "Rise" part of my concentration. It represents the Greek myth of Prometheus. Prometheus created man, but he also gave them fire, against the will of the gods. I tried to capture the defiant expression on the man, who is supposed to represent both Prometheus himself, and man as well. I used the minimal colors to create the effect of fire flickering on the face of thee man. The color choice is representative of the Greek pots that often told myths themselves, and is a link back to the culture from which the myth came. If I redid the piece, I would try to get a more even back. The picture also creates more harsh of a contrast than is present in the real piece, and waters down the orange.