ASSEMBLAGE
Paper Markers
Paper Markers (working title) is a series of work utilizing hand pulled cotton, flax, and abaca papers which are embedded with shed snake skin, hair, fiber, lace, and bible pages. The pressed and dried papers are layered together, drawn on, and sometimes have additional elements like magnified glass and snake skeletons added. They dissect language and imagery used in Christian religious text to unpack the marks that these words have made on the female experience.
Although in the United States we uphold the ideal of the separation of church and state, our lives, especially as women, are circumscribed by Christian ideology. Its long and far reaching history muddies all other areas of our culture. Through symbolism in imagery and text, women’s lives are appropriated. Even when choosing not to take part in organized religion, our lives are still dictated by the patriarchal Churches’ standards that permeate the very definition of being female. Re-appropriating this imagery and text, allows this ingrained ideology to be questioned and presented in a way that lays bare its inconsistencies and false narratives.
By breaking down the symbols and ideas within these stories and pointing out both their ironic faults and impossible expectations, we can begin to see how these stories have dictated and controlled our lives and knowledge. My work seeks to overpower these stories. Through artistic heresy, this work addresses old dogma to allow new forms of ‘woman’ to emerge and begin to grow. Let Eve taste that red carnal knowledge; for without good, there is no evil and without evil there is no good.
Although in the United States we uphold the ideal of the separation of church and state, our lives, especially as women, are circumscribed by Christian ideology. Its long and far reaching history muddies all other areas of our culture. Through symbolism in imagery and text, women’s lives are appropriated. Even when choosing not to take part in organized religion, our lives are still dictated by the patriarchal Churches’ standards that permeate the very definition of being female. Re-appropriating this imagery and text, allows this ingrained ideology to be questioned and presented in a way that lays bare its inconsistencies and false narratives.
By breaking down the symbols and ideas within these stories and pointing out both their ironic faults and impossible expectations, we can begin to see how these stories have dictated and controlled our lives and knowledge. My work seeks to overpower these stories. Through artistic heresy, this work addresses old dogma to allow new forms of ‘woman’ to emerge and begin to grow. Let Eve taste that red carnal knowledge; for without good, there is no evil and without evil there is no good.
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She, 2022 pencil, India ink, bible letters, and glass lense on handmade cotton, flax, and abaca papers embedded with bible pages, lace, fiber, hair, and shed snake skin 25 x 20 inches, 31 x 25 inches (framed) $2500 (framed) *currently framed without glazing in a white wash frame 
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Lord/lord, 2022 pencil, India ink, bible letters, and glass lense on handmade cotton, flax, and abaca papers embedded with bible pages, lace, fiber, hair, and shed snake skin 28 x 19 inches, 31 x 25 inches (framed) $2500 (framed) *currently framed without glazing in a white wash frame 
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Omnipresent, 2022 pencil, India ink, bible letters, and snake skeleton on handmade cotton, flax, and abaca paper embedded with bible pages, lace, fiber, hair, and shed snake skin 16 x 14 inches, 31 x 25 inches (framed) $2500 (framed) *currently framed without glazing in a white wash frame |
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Enveloped, 2022 pencil, India ink, and snake skeleton on handmade cotton, flax, and abaca paper embedded with bible pages, lace, fiber, hair, and shed snake skin 20 x 15 inches, 31 x 25 inches (framed) $2500 (framed) *currently framed without glazing in a white wash frame |
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Forced Mingling, 2022 pencil, India ink, bible letters, and snake skeleton on handmade cotton, flax, and abaca paper embedded with bible pages, lace, fiber, hair, and shed snake skin 20 x 15 inches, 31 x 25 inches (framed) $2500 (framed) *currently framed without glazing in a white wash frame |
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Enmeshed, 2022 pencil, India ink, bible letters, and shed snake skin on handmade cotton, flax, and abaca paper embedded with bible pages, lace, fiber, hair, and shed snake skin 18 x 14 inches, 31 x 25 inches (framed) $2500 (framed) *currently unframed |
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Birth of Truth, 2022 inkjet print, pencil, India ink, acrylic, and bible letters on handmade cotton, flax, and abaca papers embedded with rose petals, bible pages, lace, fiber, hair, and shed snake skin 24 x 20 inches, 31 x 25 inches (framed) $2500 (framed) *currently framed without glazing in a white wash frame |
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Ensnare, 2022 snake skeleton, pencil, India ink, acrylic, and bible letters on handmade cotton, flax, and abaca papers embedded with rose petals, bible pages, lace, fiber, hair, and shed snake skin 20 x 14 inches, 31 x 25 inches (framed) $2500 (framed) *currently framed without glazing in a white wash frame |
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Re-emerge, 2022 India ink acrylic paint colored pencil on cotton, abaca, and, flax handmade papers embedded with book pages hair shed snake skin and lace 26 x 22 inches $2500 |
Mini Symbols
Sculptural assemblages utilize blown glass, handmade paper, clay, and found materials to unpack the powerful symbols and text perpetuated by the Christian church throughout our culture and explore their mark on the female experience.
Although in the United States we uphold the ideal of the separation of church and state, our lives, especially as women, are circumscribed by Christian ideology. Its long and far reaching history muddies all other areas of our culture. Through symbolism in imagery and text, women’s lives are appropriated. Even when choosing not to take part in organized religion, our lives are still dictated by the patriarchal Churches’ standards that permeate the very definition of being female. Reappropriating this imagery and text, allows this ingrained ideology to be questioned and presented in a way that lays bare its inconsistencies and false narratives.
By breaking down the symbols and ideas within these stories and pointing out both their ironic faults and impossible expectations, we can begin to see how these stories have dictated and controlled our lives and knowledge. My work seeks to overpower these stories. Through artistic heresy, this work addresses old dogma to allow new forms of ‘woman’ to emerge and begin to grow. Let Eve taste that red carnal knowledge; for without good, there is no evil and without evil there is no good.
Although in the United States we uphold the ideal of the separation of church and state, our lives, especially as women, are circumscribed by Christian ideology. Its long and far reaching history muddies all other areas of our culture. Through symbolism in imagery and text, women’s lives are appropriated. Even when choosing not to take part in organized religion, our lives are still dictated by the patriarchal Churches’ standards that permeate the very definition of being female. Reappropriating this imagery and text, allows this ingrained ideology to be questioned and presented in a way that lays bare its inconsistencies and false narratives.
By breaking down the symbols and ideas within these stories and pointing out both their ironic faults and impossible expectations, we can begin to see how these stories have dictated and controlled our lives and knowledge. My work seeks to overpower these stories. Through artistic heresy, this work addresses old dogma to allow new forms of ‘woman’ to emerge and begin to grow. Let Eve taste that red carnal knowledge; for without good, there is no evil and without evil there is no good.
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Candy Apple, 2021 hand-blown glass apple, handmade cotton paper, hand embroidered lettering, acrylic painted air dry clay, gold metal and wood base 10 x 5 x 5 inches $2500. *Optional glass cloche available for protection 
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The Lost Relic, 2022 handmade cotton paper, wire, tissue paper, gold embellishment tape, gold embellishment edging, synthetic flowers, gold paint, gold metal base 9 x 4 x 4 inches $2500. 
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Redemption, 2022 paper, wire, encaustic medium, acrylic painted air dry clay, gold base 10 x 6 x 6 inches $2500. *Optional glass cloche available for protection 
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Throne, 2022 flax handmade paper, wire, hand cut book 9 x 3 x 3 $1800. *Optional glass cloche and base available for protection 
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Mouthful, 2021 found stones, acrylic painted air-dry clay, bible papers on gold metal base 10 x 5 x 5 $1800. *Optional glass cloche and base available for protection |
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Fishy 2021 paper, fish skeleton, acrylic painted air-dry clay, glass beads, fiber, gold metal base 10 x 5 x 5 $2000. *Optional glass cloche and base available for protection |
Forbidden Fruit Series
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Throughout much of human existence, women’s voices have been silenced. Take the lost gospel’s of Mary Magdalena which was only uncovered in 1896 with 10 pages missing. Women have been told that if we follow, support, and stand by our men, we will be happy and safe. Through all sources of media — religious text, myths, children’s stories, television shows, and more — we have been force fed this romantic story over and over again. With this series of work I aim to explore the anomalies and illogical fantasies, created and fueled by these myths.
When we raise our voices, they are beaten down with debilitating criticism of our body shape, skin color, hair color, dress, and various other characteristics of our bodies and general looks. Our history and feminine intuition or knowledge has been hidden from us. Women who seek knowledge are characterized as evil and wicked and depicted as witches, monsters, serpents, and snakes. The characters of Medusa, the biblical Eve, and Lilith are associated with the colors red, black, and green.
While in most of my making career I have created sculpture, this body of work relies heavily on two dimensional collages which reference biblical etchings and the classical masters who were the first to create a physical image of the ideal woman. My sculptures and collages use materials like snake skin, hair, dried fruit, wood, and stone that symbolize different parts of these stories and silenced knowledge. These are ironically used alongside images from contemporary fashion magazines. These magazines can be seen as the epitome of the intersection of body image and the romanticization of these ideas of religious piety and sexual appeal that keep women in an unending fight of perfection to fit into the form of a ‘good woman.’
By breaking down the symbols and ideas within these stories and pointing out both their ironic faults and impossible expectations, we can begin to see how these stories have dictated and controlled our lives and knowledge. My work seeks to overpower these stories. Let Eve taste that red carnal knowledge; for without good, there is no evil and without evil there is no good.
When we raise our voices, they are beaten down with debilitating criticism of our body shape, skin color, hair color, dress, and various other characteristics of our bodies and general looks. Our history and feminine intuition or knowledge has been hidden from us. Women who seek knowledge are characterized as evil and wicked and depicted as witches, monsters, serpents, and snakes. The characters of Medusa, the biblical Eve, and Lilith are associated with the colors red, black, and green.
While in most of my making career I have created sculpture, this body of work relies heavily on two dimensional collages which reference biblical etchings and the classical masters who were the first to create a physical image of the ideal woman. My sculptures and collages use materials like snake skin, hair, dried fruit, wood, and stone that symbolize different parts of these stories and silenced knowledge. These are ironically used alongside images from contemporary fashion magazines. These magazines can be seen as the epitome of the intersection of body image and the romanticization of these ideas of religious piety and sexual appeal that keep women in an unending fight of perfection to fit into the form of a ‘good woman.’
By breaking down the symbols and ideas within these stories and pointing out both their ironic faults and impossible expectations, we can begin to see how these stories have dictated and controlled our lives and knowledge. My work seeks to overpower these stories. Let Eve taste that red carnal knowledge; for without good, there is no evil and without evil there is no good.
#following, 2016
handmade paper, oil pastel, glossy magazines, Walnut Burl wood veneer mounted on Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper
11 x 13.5 inches (collage)
16 x 18 inches (paper)
#following speaks about our social media obsessed society where we are always trying to outdo the other. Within this race to have the perfect life, we lose sight of what a perfect life means for us individually. We blindly follow the pack, moving towards what we have been told will make us happy. This collage uses an ad from a fashion magazine depicting a woman moving towards a church, soon to be husband in tow, except he is cut out and replaced by a cloud of handmade paper. The paper has punched holes outlining two hands holding, pointing to this dream state we all live in of following the pack of perfect women to the church.
handmade paper, oil pastel, glossy magazines, Walnut Burl wood veneer mounted on Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper
11 x 13.5 inches (collage)
16 x 18 inches (paper)
#following speaks about our social media obsessed society where we are always trying to outdo the other. Within this race to have the perfect life, we lose sight of what a perfect life means for us individually. We blindly follow the pack, moving towards what we have been told will make us happy. This collage uses an ad from a fashion magazine depicting a woman moving towards a church, soon to be husband in tow, except he is cut out and replaced by a cloud of handmade paper. The paper has punched holes outlining two hands holding, pointing to this dream state we all live in of following the pack of perfect women to the church.
Forbidden Fruit, 2016
found wood, dried lemon with 22k gold leaf, acrylic painted air-dry clay, found stones, rattlesnake skin, leather mounted on wood base
10 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches
In this sculpture, multiple found and handmade materials are combined to create an awkward and macabre scene of death, decay, and decadence. The tantalizing 'golden fruit' of truth is dangled before this perfectly lipsticked mouth from the most hideously dead tree, offering a truth that is ill advised and damaging. The red lips contrast starkly against the rounded, white stones hinting at purity, burial and stoning. The base is wrapped in a python skin eluding to the snake in the Garden of Eden. The division between good and evil is palpable and yet obscure: Are the stones supporting the mouth or are they burying it? Is the mouth bad because it is eating this fruit or is the ill tree and the fruit the ultimate betrayal?
From Old Growth, A New Leaf Emerges, 2016
acrylic painted goat skin vellum, found wood, acrylic painted air-dry clay mounted on 1/8 inch wood veneer and found tree roots
9 x 13 x 4 inches
In this sculpture of mixed materials, pieces of goat skin vellum, painted-like dead leaves lay fallen on top of dried-out roots. A gnarled tree juts out and a single green painted leaf of vellum hangs from it. The goat skin references body, life, and death while the leaves speak about past missteps and new growth. Without these missteps, we cannot have new growth. It is only through our mistakes that we find inner truth and direction.
Keep Your Damn Apple, 2016
found wood, acrylic painted air-dry clay, artist’s hair, embroidered ribbon, LED lights, battery pack, switch mounted on wood base
6.5 x 5 inch diameter
Within this sculpture there is a tiny hidden apple which can only be seen when looking through the knot in the found wood. It is back-lit with a red LED light. Outside of the sculpture is a dead, dull scene with a modestly colored embroidered ribbon framing the base and nothing else besides a lock of red hair. The lock of red hair eludes to the fact that Eve has been there and has obviously left the scene, either giving up or deciding that she doesn't care about finding the apple. Without her involvement the story dies and the 'truth' of the apple becomes insignificant.
Lilith’s Truth, 2016
oil pastel, glossy magazines, Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper, Maple Burl wood veneer mounted on Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper
22 x 18.75 inches (collage)
30 x 22 inches (paper)
In this material collage a woman stands on a rocky shore, waves slap at the rocks and a dry dessert spans the horizon behind her. She has a thoughtful look on her face as though she is contemplating a tough decision. With an apple branch in her fist, she contemplates the story of Lilith. In this myth — written at the same time as the bible — Adam’s first wife, Lilith, leaves him after he refuses to lay beneath her. Adam complains to God who sends three Arch Angels after Lilith. They find her over the ocean and demand that she go back to Adam or she will be cursed forever. Instead Lilith curses mankind and escapes to the middle east where she lives with monsters. In this collage the woman ponders Lilith’s choices to find her own truth.
oil pastel, glossy magazines, Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper, Maple Burl wood veneer mounted on Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper
22 x 18.75 inches (collage)
30 x 22 inches (paper)
In this material collage a woman stands on a rocky shore, waves slap at the rocks and a dry dessert spans the horizon behind her. She has a thoughtful look on her face as though she is contemplating a tough decision. With an apple branch in her fist, she contemplates the story of Lilith. In this myth — written at the same time as the bible — Adam’s first wife, Lilith, leaves him after he refuses to lay beneath her. Adam complains to God who sends three Arch Angels after Lilith. They find her over the ocean and demand that she go back to Adam or she will be cursed forever. Instead Lilith curses mankind and escapes to the middle east where she lives with monsters. In this collage the woman ponders Lilith’s choices to find her own truth.
My Life Over Your Truth, 2016
acrylic painted and flocked air-dry clay, hair, dried apple with 22k gold leaf, snake skin, hand woven fiber, found wood, reconstituted wood frame
12 x 10 x 11 inches
In this bizarre sculpture, a flocked clay woman with red hair lounges on a piece of found wood. A crumpled snake skin lays nearby and a gold leafed apple withers away on a hangman-like structure created from a picture frame. A piece of hand woven fiber lays in between giving illusion to the scene. Her body language portrays an apathy towards the apple. She is confident in herself and doesn't need someone else's golden apple of truth.
Doubt of a Confident Woman, 2016
snake skin, dried amaryllis flower soaked in oak gall ink mounted on 1/8 inch wood veneer
16.5 x 3 x 1.5 inches
In this material collage, two opposing materials join together. The snake skin is vibrant, shiny, and green; almost to the point of seeming fake. The dried flower seems dead and decaying; drenched in dark oak gall ink which splatters on the wood veneer. Their direction is unknown. Is the flower pulling the snake skin down with it or is the snake skin pulling the flower up? In this piece’s uncertainty, a balance is found, completing the piece.
Eve’s Throne, 2016
oil pastel, printed photographs, Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper, Walnut Burl wood veneer, Sapele wood veneer mounted on Strathmore Cold Press 140 lb. watercolor paper
33.5 x 32.5 inches (collage)
41.5 x 38.5 inches (paper)
This strange collage finds a confident, nude woman sitting on a throne-like chair in the woods. Behind her is a wall and an image of the mosaic fresco of The Last Judgement located on St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy. Two huge trees grow up from around the 'throne' blocking out the manmade wall and religious imagery. The awkward angle, pose, facial expression, and lighting suggest similarities with Renaissance paintings of saints. In the foreground rests a snake on a branch. This collage is a remake of Eve's life after eating the forbidden apple. The apple or truth doesn't defeat her and humanity but strengthens her and helps her to become a confident and wise woman. Her inner truth will be her last judgement.
Promiscuous Bleed, 2016
oil pastel, glossy magazines, printed images, Quilted Maple wood veneer, rattlesnake skin mounted on Strathmore Cold Press 140lb. watercolor paper
18 x 16 inches (collage)
30 x 22 inches (paper)
This collage has a theatrical feel with its blue curtains and bright colors. The colors are clown like referencing the bright colors of makeup. The woman peeks from behind the curtain. Her face opens to a view of some beautiful pears. Lipstick tubes from a magazine ad keep the woman at 'gunpoint' while red roses bleed off of the page. This collage examines the theatrical production that is the standard for women’s lives balancing just the right amount of makeup or just the right amount of promiscuity, keeping women in this constant state of trying to maintain the perfect image.
Psalm of Disbelief, 2016
oak gall ink and amaryllis flower petals on handmade paper, walnut wood, hair mounted on 1/8 inch wood veneer
24 x 3 x 2 inches
This sculptural collage includes written text from the lost gospels of Mary Magdalene. This scripture was lost until 1896. The only female apostle and the apostle who Jesus first revealed himself to, Mary Magdalena's character has been questioned and dragged through the mud for thousands of years. Pope Gregory the Great added to her reputation as a sinner and prostitute in his 1591 homily. Renaissance painters like Caravaggio and others portrayed the wealthy, fallen Mary as a red-haired siren draped in ermine, silk, and pearls. In stark contrast to the way she was treated, her gospel speaks of a kinder faith, an inner faith, where God can be reached through every one of us and every one of us can become divine. Even in her gospel, she is questioned by the other male apostles. The text in this collage are from the specific quotes where the male apostles question Mary's truthfulness. They are questions and conclusions that women still hear all too often. These quotes are written with oak gall ink mixed with amaryllis flower petals to add a reddish tint. Oak gall ink is one of the main inks used for hundreds of years until the invention of chemically produced inks in the later half of the 20th century. It was used to write the Codex Sinaiticus (the oldest and most complete Bible), The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. With this ink and paper I made myself, I have created another important document, one that addresses the wrong done to Mary Magdalene's character, her hair caught in a piece of milled walnut wood. This piece not only serves as a reminder to the wrong done to Mary but also the wrong that has been done to many other women who have gone against groups of men. It signifies the disbelief in women and the disbelief that we are still in a world which questions an individual's words based on gender.
Regrowth of Truth, 2016
oil pastel, glossy magazines, printed images, Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper, Lacewood wood veneer, embroidered ribbon mounted on Strathmore Cold Press 140lb. watercolor paper
25 x 20 inches (collage)
30 x 22 inches paper)
This collage uses images of the Renaissance painter, Lucas Cranach's, Temptation in Eden and present day fashion magazines to illustrate the dichotomy of the 'perfect woman.' By the light of a full moon, trees (or ideas) grow out of this woman's head and her body transforms into a snake. She seems strong and confident but perhaps this is just her confidence in her ability to maintain the right image as she thinks back to the Adam and Eve myth and her reptilian transformation.
Rotting Fruit; Wasted Truth, 2016
dried apple, gold mica powder, found wood, snakeskin mounted on wood base
9 x 5 x 5 inches
In Rotting Fruit, Wasted Truth, a mica dusted dried up apple hangs rotting from an awkward golden branch. It poses a different story line to the Bible's Adam and Eve story. What if Eve hadn't eaten the apple and it wasted away? Would it have been better for humans to live without knowing truth?
Talisman to Lilith, 2016
graphite, Lacewood wood veneer, snakeskin, found stone, artist’s hair mounted on Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper
14 x 7.5 x .5 inches (collage)
22.25 x 15 inches (paper)
This collage is a talisman to Lilith, a character from a myth which is thought to be the story that comes before the Adam and Eve story. Lilith is Adam's first wife who ran away after she refused to lie beneath him. As he tries to dominate and suppress her power and rights as an individual, she ran to the middle east to live among monsters and in some recollections turns into a snake/monster herself. In many Renaissance paintings, she is depicted as a woman with red hair or a snake symbolizing her fiery temperament and treachery to patriarchy. In this collage her hair and snake skin are nailed down with her pureness of heart and intuition as she slithers across a map of an unknown land.
The Choice: Voice and Truth, 2016
oil pastel, graphite, glossy magazines, Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper, Quilted Maple wood veneer, rattlesnake skin mounted on Strathmore Cold Press 140lb. watercolor paper
18 x 15.75 inches (collage)
30 x 22 inches (paper)
In The Choice: Voice and Truth, a fiery redhead finds herself between a man holding a box, marked by a hovering pair of lips, and a tree with a red apple. She is caught in a decision between following her own truth or following society’s expectations of finding a man with a Tiffany blue box. A snake skin is collaged under her white dress which is cut out to reveal her scales. Her image blurs into a turbulent sea. The imagery, themes, and symbols like the apple, sea, and snakeskin elude to Eve and Lilith and their plight of being banished and turned into snakes for following their own truth.
The Truth of the Crow, 2020
oil pastel, glossy magazines, Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper, Walnut Burl wood veneer, leather mounted on Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper
30 x 22 inches (collage)
40 x 32 inches (paper)
In this collage, vibrantly pigmented oil pastels, symbolic objects, and the awkwardly stiff pose of the main character draw reference to Renaissance paintings which helped draw the public from an era of dark times into the Renaissance Humanist Philosophy. This collage has similar movement, speaking about the truth that Eve finds, which shows her the dark parts of humanity, while also allowing her to find true heart. In the confusion of movement, the snake-woman holds both an apple of truth and a pair of crow’s feet. The crow represents life, death, and resurrection. The crow is either bringing or taking a heart. Only with her hold on the truth of life and death, and good and evil, can she know and realize her own true heart.
Opening to the Truth of Heart I: Tidal Moon, 2016
oil pastel, glossy magazines, Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper, Walnut Burl wood veneer mounted on Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper
30 x 22 inches (collage)
40 x 32 inches (paper)
Opening to the Truth of Heart I: Tidal Moon is the first in a three part series which imagines different ways of loving. A woman stands on a cliff-side and kisses an apple in front of a full moon and vast body of water below. Although this image could be one of fear as she stands close to the rocky, uneven edge and wind blows her dress around, it is not. There is a playfulness in her expression, stance, and dress. The image of the woman is from a Chanell advertisement for Lucky perfume, a perfume branded to celebrate the audacity of youth. The woman kisses the apple as though she has just received it or is about to throw it away like a lucky penny. She is embracing truth and knowledge or putting all her faith/luck into it.
oil pastel, glossy magazines, Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper, Walnut Burl wood veneer mounted on Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper
30 x 22 inches (collage)
40 x 32 inches (paper)
Opening to the Truth of Heart I: Tidal Moon is the first in a three part series which imagines different ways of loving. A woman stands on a cliff-side and kisses an apple in front of a full moon and vast body of water below. Although this image could be one of fear as she stands close to the rocky, uneven edge and wind blows her dress around, it is not. There is a playfulness in her expression, stance, and dress. The image of the woman is from a Chanell advertisement for Lucky perfume, a perfume branded to celebrate the audacity of youth. The woman kisses the apple as though she has just received it or is about to throw it away like a lucky penny. She is embracing truth and knowledge or putting all her faith/luck into it.
Opening to the Truth of Heart II: Lucky Strike, 2016
oil pastel, glossy magazines, Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper, Walnut Burl wood veneer mounted on Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper
30 x 22 inches (collage)
40 x 32 inches (paper)
Opening to the Truth of Heart II: Lucky Strike is the second in a three part series about following your heart. A youthfully dressed woman leaps into the air, the cliff face and body of water far beneath her. She gazes up at a black panther that sits atop the large, luminous moon. She is caught mid-throw, an apple dangling from her hand as if she is throwing it up to the panther. The panther lounges on the moon, reserved and almost bored looking as only a cat can. The image of the woman is from a Chanell advertisement for Lucky perfume, a perfume branded to celebrate the audacity of youth. The woman risks it all for what she truly believes in and throws this truth and knowledge up to the panther.
oil pastel, glossy magazines, Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper, Walnut Burl wood veneer mounted on Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper
30 x 22 inches (collage)
40 x 32 inches (paper)
Opening to the Truth of Heart II: Lucky Strike is the second in a three part series about following your heart. A youthfully dressed woman leaps into the air, the cliff face and body of water far beneath her. She gazes up at a black panther that sits atop the large, luminous moon. She is caught mid-throw, an apple dangling from her hand as if she is throwing it up to the panther. The panther lounges on the moon, reserved and almost bored looking as only a cat can. The image of the woman is from a Chanell advertisement for Lucky perfume, a perfume branded to celebrate the audacity of youth. The woman risks it all for what she truly believes in and throws this truth and knowledge up to the panther.
Opening to the Truth of Heart III: Catfish, 2016
oil pastel, photograph by John Trotter printed on Epson Cold Press Bright paper, Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper, thread, Walnut Burl wood veneer mounted on Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper
30 x 22 inches (collage)
40 x 32 inches (paper)
This collage is the third in a three part series which imagines different ways of loving. In this series, two characters -- a woman who is dressed childlike with a red apple or a can of cat food and a black panther -- dance around each other illustrating a story of openly giving love and truth. The images in the first two collages come from a Chanell advertisement for Lucky perfume, a perfume branded to celebrate the audacity of youth. These collages celebrate this youthful take on love and relationships without downplaying its dangerous nature. The open sea, full moon, and cliff face speak about the unknown: the possibility of getting hurt and the possibility of being in love. In this third collage the woman stands firm as the waves slap at her feet, staying strong while coaxing the panther out of the depths of the emotional sea. This third collage sarcastically examines how far that love will go even when the loved one is drowning in a tumultuous sea.
Rescue, 2016
oil pastel, photographs by John Trotter printed on Epson Cold Press Bright paper mounted on Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper
30 x 22 inches (collage)
40 x 32 inches (paper)
This collage shows two women deep in the woods. One holds the other from falling into a deep well. On closer inspection the two characters are actually two parts of the same with person one part saving the other from falling into the depths. The images are photographs of the artist shot by professional photographer John Trotter.
Beating Around the Mulberry Bush, 2016
oil pastel, glossy magazine, photo on Epson Cold Press Bright paper, Arches Velin BFK Rives watercolor paper, Sapele wood veneer, dyed handmade paper mounted on Strathmore Cold Press 140lb. watercolor paper
13.25 x 21 inches (collage)
15 x 22 inches (paper)
In Beating Around the Mulberry Bush, a red-headed woman and panther stalk around a bush in the dusky woods. It seems they have gone around a couple of times as there is a dirt path worn into the green grass. Both characters are cautious and slink around, peeking at each other around the bush that keeps them apart. This collage is whimsical and childish but invokes darker parts of our relationships.
Woven Life Series
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Have you ever felt like you must do something because of who you are? Not who you are specifically, but who you are in society: mother, boyfriend, co-worker . . .
Do these definitions help us fit into society or hold us back from who we truly are?
My work navigates these questions illustrating the tension between who we are and who we think we should be. They speak about the forces in modern culture that paradoxically both bind and shape our experiences giving us both boundaries that hinder and structures to grow from. Natural materials, more akin to skin and hair, depict the intimate mark these forces have on the development and care of the self.
Within this web of societal demands, personal dreams, and the needs of reality; stressful tensions and beautiful predicaments are found. The taming and weaving together of these opposing forces, a critical step and constant feat, defines growth within a person’s life.
Do these definitions help us fit into society or hold us back from who we truly are?
My work navigates these questions illustrating the tension between who we are and who we think we should be. They speak about the forces in modern culture that paradoxically both bind and shape our experiences giving us both boundaries that hinder and structures to grow from. Natural materials, more akin to skin and hair, depict the intimate mark these forces have on the development and care of the self.
Within this web of societal demands, personal dreams, and the needs of reality; stressful tensions and beautiful predicaments are found. The taming and weaving together of these opposing forces, a critical step and constant feat, defines growth within a person’s life.
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Beautiful Unraveling, 2015
hand woven and sewn fibers, fibers, found wood, reconstituted wood frame 23 x 20 x 7 inches |
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Regrowth, 2015
found wood, knit fiber, fiber, reconstituted wood frames 15 x 7 x 4 inches |
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Splintering, 2015
found wood, handwoven cotton fabric, fiber 34 x 18 x 6 inches |
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That's A Nice Box You're Trying to Fit Me Into (Breastplate), 2015
hand woven cotton fibers, handmade paper, reclaimed embroidery hoop, reconstituted wood frame 21 x 10 x 3 inches |
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Finding a New Shape, 2015
wood, handwoven cotton fabric, handmade paper, fiber, reconstituted wood frames 17.5 x 10 x 3 inches |
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Woven Life, 2014
found wood, handwoven cotton fabric, braided pine needles, fiber, reconstituted stretcher bars 27 x 15 x 5 inches |
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Downward Pull, 2015
found wood, handwoven cotton fabric, fiber, leather, reconstituted wood frame 33 x 12 x 3 inches |
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Evolving Structures of Reality
found wood, handmade abaca paper, fiber, pine frame 12 x 11.5 x 4 inches |
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Turns in the Straight and Narrow
(Breastplate Series), 2015 found wood, handwoven cotton fabric, fiber, reconstituted wood frame 40 x 21 x 3 inches |
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Untitled (Breastplate), 2015
found wood, hand woven cotton fibers, reconstituted wood frame 21 x 8 x 3 inches |
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Untitled (Breastplate), 2015
found wood, hand woven cotton fibers, reconstituted wood frame 20 x 15 x 4 inches |
Warped Looms Series
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Warped Looms uses reconstituted frames, natural pieces of wood, and fiber. Picture frames are reconstructed around a found and finished piece of natural wood. These forms are carefully constructed to create free-standing sculptures. Intricate wrapped ‘growth’, created by wrapping the hand, grow and wind around the wood pieces. The abstract fiber growths merge the man-made and natural materials together. Additional fibers are woven around the wood pieces in alternating patterns. Different wrapping methods create a tension between the orderly, man-made frames and the abstract, natural wood and fiber. These pieces are ‘abstract looms’ that create tension, both literally and figuratively, between the materials.
This work speaks about the forces in modern culture - which I call form for living - that paradoxically both bind and shape our experience with other people. They are specific definitions that define how we act, look, and feel. These forms for living are designated without our individual input, giving us both boundaries that hinder and structures to grow from. These are ‘man-made frames’ that we must fit within. However, to become unique individuals and truly satisfied people, we must find a way to create our own form out of these defining frames. Growing as a person, allows us to tear apart our frames and merge these two opposing forces; the tension creating a life woven of the two forces.
This work speaks about the forces in modern culture - which I call form for living - that paradoxically both bind and shape our experience with other people. They are specific definitions that define how we act, look, and feel. These forms for living are designated without our individual input, giving us both boundaries that hinder and structures to grow from. These are ‘man-made frames’ that we must fit within. However, to become unique individuals and truly satisfied people, we must find a way to create our own form out of these defining frames. Growing as a person, allows us to tear apart our frames and merge these two opposing forces; the tension creating a life woven of the two forces.
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Tension: Structure and Growth
found wood, fiber, reconstituted wood frames
49 x 38 x 31 inches
found wood, fiber, reconstituted wood frames
49 x 38 x 31 inches
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Breaking Ties: Reframing
found wood, fiber, reconstituted wood frames
44 x 34 x 22 inches
found wood, fiber, reconstituted wood frames
44 x 34 x 22 inches
Rebuilding Frameworks
found wood, fiber, reconstituted wood frames
26 x 31 x 35 inches
found wood, fiber, reconstituted wood frames
26 x 31 x 35 inches
Paper Birch Bark Series
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Yarn, handmade abaca papers, paper birch bark, and wool roving are woven and twisted together to create small dimensional forms of feeling and thought. Within a complex web of societal demands, personal dreams, and the needs of reality, stressful tensions and beautiful predicaments are found. The taming and weaving together of these opposing forces seems to be a critical step and constant feat within a person's life. Natural materials, more akin to skin and hair, depict the intimate mark these forces have on the development and care of the self.
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Are We Still Growing out of Dreams?, 2011
paper birch bark, handmade abaca paper, fiber, antique wood frame
37 x 29 x 6 inches
paper birch bark, handmade abaca paper, fiber, antique wood frame
37 x 29 x 6 inches
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Relief From Abundant Ties, 2011
paper birch bark, handmade abaca paper, fiber, antique wood frame 23 x 31 x 4 inches |
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Winged Escape, 2011
paper birch bark, handmade abaca paper, fiber, antique wood frame 22 x 36 x 5 inches |
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Bumps In the Web, 2011
paper birch bark, handmade abaca paper, fiber, wood frame 10 x 13 x 3 inches |
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Escape for the Written Word, 2011
paper birch bark, handmade abaca paper, fiber, antique wood frame 16 diameter x 1 inch |
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Harsh Elements, 2011
paper birch bark, fiber, antique wood frame 13 diameter x 5 inches |
Casting of I Series
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In the series of work titled Casting of I, cups and liquids represent experiences within our lives. The cups that I use are previously owned, mass-produced ceramic mugs. Their past, including their place of origin, is lost to us due to their mass distribution. They are not extraordinary, instead noted only for their use and function. In an attempt to create a bond with these objects, we attempt to give them personality by labeling them with images or writing. Cups display images and text for companies, organizations, and groups. Still, these logos and text are images that dissolve into our everyday lives often without our slightest attention. Although hidden from view, some of my cups are plain and some have personality.
My cups are wrapped in yarn, thread, and string -- all organic materials. The wraps are lightweight and have movement. they can morph, flex, and change -- unlike the cups. the wrap allows the cup to change function thus changing its role in our lives.
These simple comparative definitions of cups and string parallel my own understanding of the structures that we morph and function within. We wrap ourselves around the roles that are mass produced for us: the advertisements, logos, and catch phrases from companies, organizations, governments, and our culture that show us the specific person we have to be and the material objects we must have to be happy. With such a strong and dominant structure, it is hard to shatter the structure and break away into our own form.
My cups are wrapped in yarn, thread, and string -- all organic materials. The wraps are lightweight and have movement. they can morph, flex, and change -- unlike the cups. the wrap allows the cup to change function thus changing its role in our lives.
These simple comparative definitions of cups and string parallel my own understanding of the structures that we morph and function within. We wrap ourselves around the roles that are mass produced for us: the advertisements, logos, and catch phrases from companies, organizations, governments, and our culture that show us the specific person we have to be and the material objects we must have to be happy. With such a strong and dominant structure, it is hard to shatter the structure and break away into our own form.
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Escape Through Another Door
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Escape Through Another Door
handmade abaca paper, wire structure, wood
65 x 48 x 12 inches
The beginnings of Escape Through Another Door started with my realization of passing through a certain group of stagnant thoughts. Further understanding of these thoughts led me to an understanding of patterns experienced through my life -- darker points, lighter points, and those in between. These points originate through our understanding of how our life is matching up to our expectations. Expectations can be formed from our society, peers, parents, advertising, movies, or our own inclinations. We all find ourselves in these different points and many times are unable to see through to the next point. The realization of pattern and my own expectations allowed me to see all points in new light and created a new mood through which I now experience life.
The four wooden bases are structures in time and space that occupy our brain space; they are strong, stagnant, and unwavering. These structures may be formed from external or internal notions of how our lives should be shaped. Although they are not lined up in a straight line, each can be passed through, some with more effort than others.
The realization of the weight paper has within our own lives can be found within the act of paper making. Paper is our documentation, the beginnings of creativity, our physical space for thought and reason; an ephemeral object that can carry so much meaning. In Escape through Another Door, our physical brain space, paper, fights through the constraints we find in our lives and makes it out--one more time.
handmade abaca paper, wire structure, wood
65 x 48 x 12 inches
The beginnings of Escape Through Another Door started with my realization of passing through a certain group of stagnant thoughts. Further understanding of these thoughts led me to an understanding of patterns experienced through my life -- darker points, lighter points, and those in between. These points originate through our understanding of how our life is matching up to our expectations. Expectations can be formed from our society, peers, parents, advertising, movies, or our own inclinations. We all find ourselves in these different points and many times are unable to see through to the next point. The realization of pattern and my own expectations allowed me to see all points in new light and created a new mood through which I now experience life.
The four wooden bases are structures in time and space that occupy our brain space; they are strong, stagnant, and unwavering. These structures may be formed from external or internal notions of how our lives should be shaped. Although they are not lined up in a straight line, each can be passed through, some with more effort than others.
The realization of the weight paper has within our own lives can be found within the act of paper making. Paper is our documentation, the beginnings of creativity, our physical space for thought and reason; an ephemeral object that can carry so much meaning. In Escape through Another Door, our physical brain space, paper, fights through the constraints we find in our lives and makes it out--one more time.
