Layers of meaning are created by the combination of photography, drawing and mixed-media. The use of the pattern piece is multifaceted. While there is historical reference to sewing, the handmade, and the notion of “women’s work”, patterns are used as mark-making, like tattoos on skin or marks made before cosmetic surgery. In wrestling with questions of conformity and loss of individuality, patterns are like metaphors. How do we “pattern” ourselves? Who sets the standards of beauty and what is acceptable in our culture? It is through the visual exploration that I can express ideas and pose questions.