I juxtapose appropriated images from vintage children’s books along with other found and original images to address the process of cultural assimilation and the development of individual identity. I create my cross-cultural narratives using encaustic and other mixed media including oil, pigments from Morocco and India, volcanic ash from Ecuador, rice paper, silver/gold/copper leaf, beads, and electronic components from circuit boards. Each material becomes a culture signifier. The ancient material of encaustic allows me to work in layers, which formally and metaphorically represent the layering of viewpoints, identities and places.