These beaded works are influenced by traditional craft styles – specifically, borrowing techniques from the Huichol Indian tribe of Mexico and the Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans. The symbols and patterns I choose come from contemporary imagery and emblems of power. I focus on depictions that have personal interest to me, selecting them instinctually and attempting not to over think them – pistols from my favorite tequila bottle, the colonial star I see hung on many rural houses, 1980’s video game explosions, and antiquated medical implements. The works are a visual journal of reoccurring images that have been in my mind and a way to explore my relationship to cultural icons of our times.