For the last several years I have been working within two-dimensions because after 20 years of working sculpturally with steel and glass, the wear and tear on my body caused painful neurological damage. I was forced to abandon fire and hammers, but, happily, I found my way back to my first love of color and image making! 

My studio is now flooded with beautiful, delicate papers made from Kozo, Abaca, Rice, Lokta, and Mulberry fibers.  Onto them, I paint and print with acrylic paint and ink, watercolor, and etching ink. As I develop each piece of paper, I experiment with color and patterned layers, textures, resists, pressure, and time. I use gel plates, sponges, brushes, fingers, and all sorts of found implements to apply and remove the pigments. I also design and cut complex stencils to use as resists and collect botanicals to directly print and use as drawing resources.

The subjects and imagery are the same that I have always been drawn to –– the pervasive interactions and beauty of nature’s designs and creatures that pulse throughout our lived experiences. You will see ancient symbols that confer safety, eternity, and community, to emblematic displays of courtship, caring for young, and life’s transitions. 

I develop a composition moving both backwards and forwards. If I have a specific concept or image in mind, I develop drawings and then create dozens of papers that I use to build a collage by layering and juxtaposing semi-transparent and opaque visual textures and colors. Other times, I make a mono print that serendipitously inspires a concept, and I then create more papers to build with it. Many pieces have ink, graphite, or colored pencil drawings as a part of the collage.