As I continually reflect upon my work and life as an artist, an educator and Maine resident my thoughts return to issues of loss, change, decay and renewal. It is true that the only constant we can rely on is change. The robust manufacturing industry that had been such a part of my hometown of Lewiston has faded. Its hulking mills and factories exist in various states of decay, demolition and refurbishment. I’m constantly made aware and have become fascinated by the impermanence of our surroundings and of things in general. I find myself inspired by aged walls, thick with layers of paint, partially peeled and revealing any number of fresh starts. Buildings that once housed three shifts of bustling mill workers and noisy machinery now serve as spaces for fine dining or shopping. We reappropriate spaces for different uses depending upon our current needs. The old gets covered up. Forgotten. Neglected memories are lost. Generations of ancestors and a wealth of experiences fade as ghosts in the frantic din of pursuing the present moment. Valuable lessons somehow don’t get passed on as one generation treads upon the footsteps of its predecessors. I believe we live in a time that requires us to look back to our recent past to appreciate our current situations. There’s beauty and wisdom to be found in the decay of what came before us. This is something I seek to explore in my work.