Artist's Statement
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I am an abstract, mixed media artist whose work includes painting, drawing, sculpture, and jewelry. With a background in biology as well as fine arts, I use my art to investigate inner and outer landscapes, as found in our embattled Earth and the psychological landscape of self. I juxtapose precious and humble materials, echoing duality and life journeys.
I work intuitively and utilize whatever will help me realize my vision – paint, wood, ink, paper, precious stones and metals, resin, and found objects. I consciously rescue what I include – what others might call detritus. I repurpose my discarded paintings and drawings as readily as eroded sea shells that I find, carefully saved paper scraps, frayed pieces of fabric, and memories. I give new life to these treasures by highlighting the beauty I perceive in their insignificance. The act of rescue becomes my embrace of Earth and all that is fragile. As I place the first mark on the surface of my piece, a visual conversation begins. When colors, lines, and shapes sit next to each other, the piece starts to live. It seems to develop a voice. I cannot control too much, or |
"If I have listened to and observed the work carefully, it becomes...a visual poem that emerges from a partnership between my heart and mind." the work will stiffen and become lifeless. I might salvage an accidental drip of paint, apply a wash, carve, stitch, break, or attach a fragment. The act of creation for me is very often physical; my mind-body connections become part of the conversation. If I have listened to and observed the work carefully, it becomes finished when there is a complete statement, a visual poem that emerges from a partnership between my heart and mind.
Careful scrutiny can reveal a palimpsest of my previous actions and clues to my emotional, intellectual, and experiential voyages. The work becomes a record of change, enabling me to stand at the brink of the past and the present, while inviting others to do so as well. |