Bed Paintings
The Bed Paintings are made with the materials used to make a traditional painting; wood, canvas and paint. In these works, the painting materials are presented supporting one another in various sizes, shapes, and colors. Layers of canvas create a dense bed, which is supported by a piece of repurposed wood. Paint is then placed to rest on top of the canvas bed.
These works can be displayed on the wall, floor or any elevated surface.
Left (Behind) Student Paintings 2016
At the time of the DeVos nomination, during the Trump administration, the farce of it all prompted me to put together a series of works born in the classroom. Titled “Left (behind) student work," this series suggests turning our backs on children, public education and the ominous neglect of our future.
“Left (behind) student work" are paintings left behind by my high school students. Some students did not take their paintings home and left them for next years painting class to re-stretch.
During the process of removing the old painted canvases from the stretcher bars, I became attached to the backs of the paintings, both visually and sentimentally. The memories of instruction, and the physical quality of the canvas, became reflective aspects of sharing the painting experience. This motivated me to sew the old painted canvases together with their verso facing the viewer. They are sewn in groupings and inspired by the titles of different teaching strategies. Such as "think pair share", "collaborative learning" or "scaffolding".
Section Paintings (Small)
I started making the Small Section Paintings in 2001 as a reaction to the very large works I was exhibiting at the time. I could not store these works because of their size so I cut one up into small sections and the idea was born. I made a grouping of about seven Small Section Paintings back then. Soon after, I stopped my painting practice for a twenty-year period, devoting my time and energy to teaching children.
In 2019, I started to make the Small Section Paintings again along with some other previous bodies of work. Each small section painting is a complete work to be exhibited, certain pieces were hung on the wall, but usually they are installed on a raised surface like a desk, shelf, or pedestal. Ironically, I recently have also used them as prototypes for very large installation works.
Bag Paintings (Inside-Out Burlap) 1989
My first meaningful body of work. They laid down the foundation of a language, which set me on my journey. I made about fifty of them in 1989 displayed are a set of nine.
Drawings (Peach Tree) and their verso 1993
Peach Tree Drawings 1993 set of five drawings and their verso