While in Cambodia on an art residency I started working on my Visual Poem series which incorporates my interests in painting and poetry. These artworks use the "found poem" format, a literary equivalent of the collage. Popular with Surrealists of the early 20th century, the "found poem" is a way of tapping into the subconscious. I explore themes of resilience, place and mystery in this altered book series. I originally began the series using a 1930s physics textbook, a remnant of a former life when I analyzed bubble chamber film for a living. Continuing to primarily use science-based books as source material I use ink and paint to isolate poetic phrases on the page. My color choices become important in highlighting the mood of each "poem." These altered book works, while aesthetically resilient and thematically interrelated, are highly subjective and unfiltered assemblages of personal memory.