Figures appear in my work when I'm exploring relationships. I began a few years ago (2002-3) by focusing on the number 1 as it seemed like a perfect place to start and it represented the self. Number 1 expanded to encompass a set of personal imperatives as if I were hashing out a personal code of conduct or declaring an individual creed.

In 2005, with my father's passing, I knew that it was time to come back to the "relationship work". I didn't know where to start, but I got the novel idea to look at number "2". Two represents my relationship with an immediate "other" who holds up a mirror to me. In there I see just how kind or ugly I'm capable of being. While I began work on these I rediscovered photographs which my father took of me as I was growing up. I began redrawing his photos into the paintings in an attempt to unpack the unanswered questions of our father - daughter relationship. After 14 paintings I realized what Dad was really photographing when he filled those photo albums - himself.