artist statement

My journey into figurative assemblage began in 1998 at a workshop on making one-of-a-kind dolls. At this workshop, I expected to learn some skills that would lead to an income stream I could generate from home by making and selling artist dolls. What I found instead was a partially open door to the figure as art.

I am still pushing that door more fully open today as I continue to explore new materials and techniques to incorporate in the dimensional human figure. In my studio I enjoy solitude, with space and freedom to create. The work flows from a jumble of textiles, paints, clay, found objects and the inspiration they bring the artist in me. I love sculpting, and my favorite clay is air-drying paper clay. It is easily manipulated and light weight when cured. Textiles often appear in my work with torn and frayed edges.

I don’t build a profound message into every piece I create, but such a piece comes along every now and then. I enjoy visually illustrating a play on words or sometimes just a little silliness. When a viewer sees meaning in one of my pieces, I’m fascinated and gratified that something in my work has spoken to her in a way I could not have anticipated.

As my journey continues into this figurative art, I look for opportunities to add depictions of the coastal lifestyle which I enjoy now in the city of my birth.