Birth and death and everything in between. Continuity, repetition, adaptation to circumstance. Memory and loss. What happens when light is limited or space is restricted, or there’s too much of a good thing. What was here yesterday. What will be here tomorrow. How to find a calm place when strife and chaos prevail. These thoughts occupy me, and the observation of nature provides a physical way approach them.
I combine drawing, painting, collage and printmaking to create large mixed media monotypes. I apply thin layers of ink and paper, scrape or tear it away, and then rebuild layer after layer to achieve complex depth and texture. Sometimes I press leaves or flowers directly into the surface. Maps, photographs, souvenirs and dreams may be completely buried, revealed only by a hint of shadow or figure. I may include block prints, drypoints, and pencil drawings, or paint directly on the print. I love the physical aspect of printmaking: mixing colors, placing the plate on the press, smoothing the blankets, turning the wheel, and peeling back the paper to reveal a new design.
