In reflecting on my art, I pay close attention to what is happening below the surface in the realm of the unconscious. In general, my work involves “finding the essence” of a story being told. Sometimes this is a simple line in a painting that reflects my attempt to make sense of the world around me. My favorite artists are those who can take a familiar image and transform it in order to lead the viewer to think again, to create a story about what that image is really saying.
I have worked in the monoprinting medium since 1998. Working primarily in oils, I might add other mediums, such as chine colle, pencils, watercolors and collage. The process has allowed me to work with found and natural objects and bring them to life. By adding and moving objects around on a plate, form, dimensionality and movement are created. Monoprint encourages spontaneity – Leaves, feathers and found objects give the print realism and depth, but it is the connection with the spontaneity and freedom of how the realism and depth can change that excites me about this medium.
I am deeply interested in understanding the core or essence of who we are. For me, leaves no longer are leaves, but beings with lives, sometimes complex, or humorous and sometimes mundane. I celebrate it all allowing nature to speak its story, as well as our story.
I think of those now from different cultures coming together in collaboration for ongoing dialogue and understanding. In thinking about our world, and the deep need for this collaboration, I focus on the possibilities that exist and my hope for peace to occur in our world.