I begin each piece with a question, using nature, myth, literature, and philosophy as both inspiration and metaphor to explore human experiences and relationships. As such, my work takes me deep into personal experience as I try to understand events in my life. For me, art is not merely a reflection of what we see in the world. It is a process through which we discover and share ourselves. My work teaches me as I shape it. If a topic is worthy as a subject, it creates a deep emotional response in me. I explore what I do not know, seeking to give form and voice to the thing in each of us that is silent and true.
For 32 years, my professional focus was on sculpture. It paid the bills, put my kids through school, and offered profound personal reward, but I am not just a sculptor. I am an artist and my artistic expression takes many forms: I am a painter and sculptor, an award winning author and businesswoman, a gardener and a cook.
For the last several years, my professional focus has been on painting. As a self taught artist, I began painting with excitement and trepidation. I didn’t understand how to express in two dimensions or in color. At first my brushstrokes were precious. Colors were uniform. Patterns were obvious. My lack of understanding made me want to throw the works against a wall. Frustration led to fury. Fury led to release and, over time, I learned. To me, sculpture is poetry. It captures a moment in time. Paintings are symphonies and the best medium to express my lifetime of experience.
My acrylic color fields are multi-layered and complex. The palettes are evocative. I fling, drip, and use brushstroke to create my works. Each layer is separated by a high-gloss isolation coat which allows light to refract between layers and are finished with an archival varnish. Forms emerge and disappear, almost recognizable, but not quite. Like Rothko and Pollack (heroes of mine) I encourage viewers to enter a state of mind, to stop and fully immerse themselves in something they don’t consciously understand but feel on an intuitive level. In this meditative state, viewers (and myself as the artist), sit inside a space that’s all consuming, deeply inspiring, and full of beauty.
In this space, the questions that arise about vulnerability, love, conflict, conviction, and courage (among others) can be heard and explored. While I do not believe any one of us will fully resolve our questions in this lifetime, I do believe that each time we honestly listen to the voice within us, we move a little further toward understanding and connection.
