In my paintings, both the nude and nature are of one substance, of one flesh. Accordingly, I immerse my nudes in tropical settings to suggest an environment of extreme luxuriance and diversity in which all flora and fauna thrive. It is an ecosystem of free and uninhibited growth, a sensual, pleasurable place that is warm in temperature, color, and feeling. In this primordial and pre-moral garden the nude herself grows proudly like a Tree of Life. Her limbs branch out without guilt or shame and her curving contours undulate with the vegetation around her. Her fruit is nothing less than life itself. And as long as life is given, we all have a chance at immortality. Whether we glorify or deify the female form, in the end we all respectfully acknowledge our common origin.