Statement

Where on earth do you find your source materials? That’s the most common question I get from visitors to my studio or at shows. While I scour bottom shelf bins in unassuming vintage and antique stores, the reality is that some of my best “finds” come from followers who know my love of outdated, quirky manuals, textbooks, diaries and magazines and offer to share the treasure trove they discovered in the back of Aunt Hilda’s closet. The materials that most interest me are so mundane that most people rarely keep them, let alone consider them worthy of including in fine art. They are the materials we have used for guidance, record-keeping, notes and ideas. The very best ones are dog-eared, highlighted or filled with personal notations, in other words, they reflect the humanness of a prior life.

I begin each piece by deconstructing a single source material so that I no longer see it in the form it was originally presented, looking to uncover repeating forms, images, colors and ideas that will form the basis of the artwork. As I start to build the layers of the artwork the process is less an act of collage as a re-weaving of the original source material in a form that allows the viewer to interact with the ideas contained in those materials in a new way.

For me, my process is akin to constructing a tapestry so I often look to textiles and fiber arts for ideas for mark making and structure for the forms I create. I find inspiration for new paint combinations by taking photos of worn surfaces like faded billboards, peeling paint and decrepit buildings, always looking for that surprise pop of color.

Viewers are often initially drawn to my work because of the bold colors, patterns and movement, but upon closer inspection they are pulled into a world of tiny details, one bleeding into the next, creating a fantastical narrative from the bits of the original source material that remain unobstructed. While much of my prior work has been abstract, I am using a similar process to create abstract portraits of women made from source materials which reflect their contribution to society.

Perhaps my favorite comment I regularly get from visitors: “I could get lost in your work for hours.”