"I am self-taught. Since I was a small child, I have always been busy working away at drawings and designs. As a young adult I extended my learning with art classes found a community which felt like a family.

I work from inner motivation - be it stimulated by the outside world, or by focusing on the beauty within. My most successful and meaningful work manifest itself when I tap into a creative stream, at once both inherent and universal.

Often, designs come from my mind, which guides my hands as I play with the leather, the material itself evolving as the piece comes into being.

I seek to draw out design through the interplay of textures to produce organic, hand-finished shapes that capture the imagination particularly like pyrography, or wood-burning art (the "Tree of Life") on leather. I find it very refreshing to draw in different ways, as I am learning and discovering techniques to help new expressions come to light. I am fascinated by the
pyrography tools that create these results that are seen through each piece, and find beauty in work, merging energy and surface quality with specific content and feelings. I find rich color and intricate textures to be some of the most stimulating factors in my work. I am most satisfied when my creations affect your life in a positive way.

My goal is to create unique pieces that speak to their owners and evoke feelings of warmth and empowerment. The end results are unique piece that speaks out to the would-be owners."

- LINA