I have never considered myself an artist so much as someone compelled to follow creative ideas as they take shape.  As a science and math teacher, the fine arts have often taken a backseat to more analytical ways of thinking.  Nonetheless, I find myself drawn to creative pursuits as my impulses tend to surface during periods of profound grief or heartbreak. In these moments, logic alone feels insufficient, and artistic expression becomes necessary.

This was the context in which my piece, “Self-Portrait”, came to be. It was my first foray into chainsaw carving, completed without formal training or a clear plan. I worked intuitively, carving and chiseling the wood until I began to understand that, much like in life, the piece would never feel complete. It exists in a constant state of evolution, and so do I. As the grain and rays of the wood gradually revealed themselves, I found myself uncovering unfamiliar parts of my own identity. In this way, “Self-Portrait” serves as a reflection of both my physical and internal journey and process of self-discovery through art.

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