One of the pleasures in working with mosaic is that I don’t have to stop at merely creating a way to represent the outside world. I can go so far as to use pieces of this world in my representations. The abundance of choices available material-wise is inspirational to me. I work with a range of semi-precious stones, minerals, and shells to add to the richness of the mosaic surface. I have choices as to whether I want to use a material for the beauty of its color and patterning or I can choose to use a material because of its bas-relief qualities like a crystalline structure or a carved sphere. Often times raised elements come out of the mosaic surface adding to the overall texture of the piece. All of this plays into what I view as the most attractive feature of mosaic, that being its tactile quality. I like to think of my mosaics as being tactile paintings or sculptures. I would encourage the viewing public to handle my art and appreciate it on that level. Mosaic is a time-honored medium where there are endless opportunities for visual and tactile exploration.