In the last three years I have focused on surface as an essential element of my art, experimenting with volume and texture of the material itself. I have made my own paper, combined paper and plaster, worked with collage and simultaneously experimented with imagery, moving back and forth between representation and abstraction.
Handmade paper has become a sculptural material. I can manipulate hills and valleys, craters and crevices, large or small. Paper absorbs and changes the properties of the material I apply to it. At times, imagery grows out of the surface of the handmade paper. When I work with my handmade paper, I am ever fascinated by the textures, colors, absorption qualities and form that it takes. My paper has become a starting point for me. It is the geography in which to work.
I have applied acrylic paints extensively to this geography. Acrylics are absorbed by the handmade paper and often dry with an appearance similar to gouache. Acrylic paint’s quick drying time allows me to build the surface of my paintings with washes as well as impasto layers. I mix much of my paint directly on the surface of the painting from wet pools of paint that I have layered onto the paper. I was pleased to find that through this process I could unearth colors and layers, discovering fortuitous relationships that present themselves like patterns in nature.
I use the qualities of synthetic and natural materials to investigate relationships between the natural world and the built environment. I often work with handmade paper and acrylic paint, but I also incorporate other conventional and unconventional processes and materials. Printmaking and drawing feature in much of my work. I have used silicone, cat tails, foam insulation, and blue jeans to reach the conceptual realization of pieces.
I have focused on retaining the physicality of the surface and finding meaning in my materials while investigating qualities of color, light, place, and experience.
