This is one of my favorite pieces from the start of the Lands and Peoples series. Oil, pastel, gouache and ink on panel, 48 x 40 inches. I began the piece in 2000 but did not finish it until 2003. I originally had George Harrison song lyrics in the background in the upper right side of the panel. When I was a student at Calarts my studio was right next door to the Balinese Gamelan room, and over the years the drum beats of the Balinese and African music and dance sessions (there was a fabulous program in both), provided a constant soundtrack to my artistic production. I was married to a songwriter for many years – that also coincided with my training to be an artist. I was a dance minor and studied dance for many years, even teaching dance before I taught art, and while at Calarts I auditioned in order to take classes within the School of Dance, which I did throughout my studies. Movement and music have always been part of who I am as a person and as a painter.