Artist Statement
"The artistic process is a type of alchemy where the raw chaos of experience is transformed into something life giving."
I've been making collages for about twenty years. It has always been a way for me to perform the alchemy of transmuting raw experience in all its messiness and chaos into something beautiful and completely new.
Most of my work is on a small scale ranging from 4 x 4 to rare pieces that are 9 x 12. As a collagist, my materials are common items: discarded books, junk mail, magazines, catalogs, torn up paintings, garage sale finds, cardboard boxes. Most of these items are personal and ordinary, and their hand held size dictates the size of the work. I'm also frequently multi-tasking so my work must be done as part of my busy life, in my own home, in a stop/start fashion. Interruptions are part of the process. My art is analog, made from physical objects, paint, scissors, and glue with no digital alterations.
I like the art to draw a person closer, almost like an invitation into a relationship. You must walk up to the piece and begin a conversation with it, rather than viewing it from afar. I also make collage books, that are meant to be held and paged through, as well as books of found word poetry. Nothing about my work is precious or archival. I come from a Gen X "do it yourself" ethos, rejecting gatekeepers, critics, and formality. I value the common, the spontaneous, the overlooked, and the salvaged. I gravitate toward the small, the intimate, and the quirky. I hope you enjoy visiting my online gallery, and I hope it inspires you to create something new today!
