"Sh'ma" means "listen" in Hebrew. It is the first word of the central statement of the Jewish liturgy: "Listen, God is One." (Rabbi Rami Shapiro translates it as "Listen, that which we call God is Oneness itself.") To me, the command "Listen" is powerful all by itself.

This print is part of a collection of photo-collage-based prints that I began creating in late 2011. I start with photos I take myself, then combine and alter them in Photoshop. Until now, I have used photography only to document my work--never as a creative tool. But I began having an overwhelming feeling, as I was looking around, that the images around me were just too beautiful, too intricate--that I wanted to try to capture that beauty in photos and to use it in my work.

I certainly wouldn't call myself a photographer--I feel like more of a collector, picking up images to use in assemblages or collages, as one might collect old postcards or junk. I assemble and alter the images pretty extensively in order to make some kind of statement. I feel as though, in photography and Photoshop, I've gotten hold of a new brush, or a whole new toolbox.

What is the difference in quality between an archival inkjet print and a less-expensive laser print? The laser prints look great on their own, and for the very low price they can't be beat. My inkjet prints, however, in addition to being archival (kept out of direct sunshine, they should stay brilliant for a lifetime), are sharper, clearer, and more saturated with color. The surface of the paper is slightly textured and similar to watercolor paper, as opposed to the smooth matte finish of the paper we use for our laser prints.