STATEMENT
My Process
I am a mixed-media artist, working mainly with paper, acrylics, pastels, pencil and water soluble crayons. I’ve always been a collector of scraps and feel there is beauty in these items that many toss away. I enjoy using letters, stamps, old books, recycled paintings and drawings, anything that catches my eye and could be used for a collage. My way of working has become “process” oriented. I may have an idea or not. Sometimes it takes a while for a series to immerge. I try not to control what creation is coming forth by thinking too much. Sometimes I purposefully work quickly.
Self-Portraits
In 2006 I started a mixed-media series of self-portraits that reveal what I often hide from the world, the inner me. I included a context for most of my portraits, some objects to prompt the viewer about the part of me that is being revealed. In one piece, I include some of my students’ drawings. These items remind me of the joy and sometimes-magical aspect of being around children. A number of the self-portraits are accompanied by a small poem.
Nests
I started “The Nest Series” in 2008 thinking I’d like to be even more explicit by putting my thoughts out to the world. This body of work is my message given through image and text. To me, this series is about gestation. Sometimes, the thing that is gestating is in jeopardy because of human activity and selfishness. I love anything to do with my natural environment and find it disturbing that humans are forever changing the various habitats of our Earth. At other times, the thing that is gestating is revered and mystical, the Great Spirit is at work. This is my message of hope.
Oceans
In 2009, I started noticing articles in the San Francisco Chronicle about the Pacific Ocean. I was raised not far from the Atlantic and have always felt at home near water. These newspaper articles were alarming. Various animals such as squid and jellyfish were reported in new locations. Many of these species were living in new areas, giant versions of these animals were being spotted. I clipped the articles and started collages that corresponded to my reactions.
This article on the falling otter population inspired the artwork "The Sea, a Soup of Life" and "Dark and Deep, There is Nothing Here".
This article on aggressive jumbo squid was the inspiration for the artwork "Carnivorous Squid".
Summer Time
These collages were completed during the summers of ‘05 and ‘06 when I was staying with a good friend in Connecticut. They were created during a time when I was visiting my mother as she adjusted to a new and difficult living situation. They are precious to me for this a reason. When I constructed these pieces, I tried to create a feeling of dimension and space so that the viewer could travel into the collage. Some of the papers I used have their own mysterious histories. I like to share my curiousness with the viewer and hope that people wonder about the hidden stories too. The overall sense I wish to portray is one of peace, space, and curiosity.