My art is an exploration of color, texture and emotion. I find great joy in creating work that brings together an interesting array of materials, mediums, and ephemera. As a mixed media artist I continuously explore the interactions of color and texture. My work is primarily abstract and allows each viewer to “see” different things based on their view of the world. I seek to make a connection with the viewer and evoke a mood or feeling with my work. My art incorporates both large and small scale shapes and images which allows the viewer to experience my work differently up close and from a distance.
I do not start with an end point in mind when I create new work. I prefer to select materials and let a piece evolve by responding to what is occurring on my work surface. I combine intricate drawings and abstracted forms to create dense and colorful images. I build my collages with materials ranging from fibrous Japanese rice paper, to common household resources. Layers are pressed, printed, removed, painted, scratched away and sanded. These processes mirror how our own lives may be built up or worn away by the society in which we live.
The layers in my current work reflect the layers of the psyche, some light and some dark, that lie beneath the veneer that people present to the world. As humans we often show one persona to the world while we keep emotions bottled up within ourselves. Often we are different people at different time and in different places. Angst unleashed personifies the explosion that can result when emotions become too much to contain. Whereas, Hopes and Dreams, speaks to the fantasies and dreams that circle our mind. Most recently I have started a series relating to maps. In creating these pieces I have asked myself questions such as:
- Where are we going?
- Where have we been?
- Are we lost?
- How much of the world will we never see?
While these works vary in their execution they each address one or more of those questions. The thread that connects all of my work is the use of layers, color and texture. These form the language I use to communicate with my audience.
