In my Undergraduate work, I was highly influenced by Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art. Particular favorites were - and still are- Cy Twombly, Helen Frankenthaler, and for more contemporary influences I was drawn to Julie Mehretu. Narrative at this time was highly private and personal, which is similar to my current work, but at the time I was less ready to connect to my audience/viewers other than the feel and essence.  I conveyed this with color and active nature of marks.  I have a love of portraiture, and brought that into the conversation with these pieces. Painted on microfilm, these pieces almost feel like looking at something through a microscope.  Shapes and small marks are a to draw the viewer in closer to abstract the human face.