The art I make is an invitation to look within. I generally work in contained spaces-little worlds that can be entered and explored by the viewer. I am fascinated by hidden places, layers, and openings, and how they serve as metaphors for the human experience. I see us as travelers in the same space, each taking a different path. It is my hope that my work will inspire others to question and explore their own private worlds. Themes in my work are birth, death, purpose, and direction. My work is an attempt to express the struggle to make meaning of the journey.

My childhood home was in the woods of Houston, Texas. I spent hours gathering and arranging found treasures, such as feathers, rocks and sticks, under the trees. From a very early age, I loved working within an empty defined space to create something new.

My work is mixed media, using found objects and images. I usually work in antique boxes, combining old paper, tattered books and small objects. Every object in a box has a purpose and meaning. I usually incorporate encaustic, a combination of hot wax mixed with pigments, into my work. Encaustic painting is an ancient technique that was practiced by Greek artists as early as the 5th century BCE. The wax combined with the paper and objects is reminiscent of relics and remembrances.

Common images in my work are nests, eggs and bones. They symbolize different phases of the life cycle. I also incorporate scraps of maps, spiritual texts, old handwriting and photos. They represent the fragments and tools of life that are either kept or left behind. As an art therapist, I find the creative process essential for expressing the human experience in concrete form.

- Janet Eskridge