The name hearkens back to the wands and power staffs used by ancient leaders, shamans and healers in many cultures. The purpose of my work, with both the staffs and wearable art, is not only to create new and interesting physical shapes but also to help attract specific energies. The staffs can be used to dance, pray or meditate - to wake up, to ward off, or to summon.

I find that when I'm in a deep place in my thoughts, the raw material for a staff will come to me. I was walking along a New York City street and the entire branch of a tree lay in front of me, partially blocking my path. I was lost in thought, trying in vain to figure out some conundrum in my life, and I almost tripped over this branch.

I carried the whole thing home to Brooklyn on the subway. Now my Brooklyn brownstone apartment is brimming with branches.

Whether the branches come from a forest or a city street, when I get them home, I study them. I quiet myself, and I run my hands over the nubs and bumps to get a feeling for the message within. I think about what blocks exist in the world and what energies I want to draw towards the staff. I discover the parts of the branch I want to leave natural and untouched, the parts I want to alter by carving, sanding, or painting, and what sections I might adorn with crystals or other sacred objects. I open my heart to attract the spiritual force that can imbue the work with its highest intentions. I believe the animals on this planet have a great deal of wisdom to offer to us. Often some kind of animal spirit is revealed in my carvings. I trust that the animal spirit and intention may speak out from these objects and that the person who is right for each staff will hear and recognize it.