Artist Statement

Any creative process is rooted in presence. for me quiet, undistracted attention allows ideas to flow naturally. Rather than working toward predetermined concepts, I allow impressions and intuitions to shape each piece. This results in a practice that is fluid and continuous; where the next work often begins conceptually before the previous piece is finished.

My painting process is an intuitive solution to problems that arise, are created or perceived and resolved, all within the context of the art image itself. Semi-transparent or opaque layers are built up using aqua-media paints and stained papers. The layers may be wiped, scraped, or sanded down exposing earlier layers beneath. This technique acknowleges natural and geological processes as well as archaeology, urban renewal and even psychology. Painting tools may include brushes, scrapers, knives, trowels, rollers, blotters, squirt bottles, sprayers, sanding blocks, and tape.

In my sculptural work, found natural and industrial materials are joined with both pre- and post-industrial components. Through bold, vibrant colors and careful compostion, these works create a material dialogue between nature and nurture, instinct and intervention.

My work is not specifically about any single theme. It arises from a deep sense of interconnectedness; of being in place, of listening, of watching, of responding. It is shaped by the cycles and contrasts I observe in both natural systems and cultural constructs.

To engage with these works is, perhaps, to glimpse not only my personal experience, but also journey into the shared territory between myself, the viewer, and the world extant.

Education

The University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1973 through 1978, graduating with a BA in Studio Arts and concentrations in mixed media sculpture and drawing.

The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 1979 through 1981, graduating with a MA in Studio Arts and concentrations in mixed media sculpture and drawing.