Artist Statement: My imagery comes from a tangle of sources including my garden and it’s seasonal changes; decorative and ornamental conventions from a variety of cultures often informed by travels in China, Mexico and Turkey, and odd juxtapositions of everyday clutter. In particular the porcelain “crowns” were inspired by the elaborate and striking head adornments worn by young women from ethnic minority tribes, such as Yi and Hmong, during celebratory events and traditional dances gatherings in southwestern China. My “crowns” were made and fired during a residency near the city of Jingdezhen, famous for its factories and workshops that have specialized in porcelain art for over eight hundred years.