These two works (Raining and Stars in my Hands) relate to literally nasturtiums - the flowers and a rainy then sunny moment in San Francisco.

It was one of those days in san francsico where it had been raining quite hard. I had been over at the legion of Honor Museum where they have these giant nasturtiums - I believe they grow so large because they never need to winter over/ they never die they just keep growing and growing from season to season and from year to year. The sun began to creep out in such a beautiful fashion. And the rain droplets which had accumulated on the giant leaves began to glisten. Everything felt so very magical at that moment. Rather like a sparkling awareness.  This is what the titles and words are referring to.

I  understand this to be a metaphor relating to arising out of pain/ suffering (ie rain)  - part of universal human condition. The contrast of momentary ability to transcend is quite dramatic - this is that type of magical moment as it is not always this way."Stars in my hand = moment of transcendance"

I began to take photographs to remind me of the moment - some which I turned into a series of very small 'solarized' prints and then some of the photos  I used in deconstructed fashion as collage elements in these two works.

As i worked with these collage elements these works on paper began to come to life, creating a life of their own apart from my own personal experience of the nasturtiums themselves.

Of course each viewer will bring to these works their own meanings and interpretations which come about since no one has exactly the same experiences which they bring to the works.

The amazing thing about art! (I feel)