Cortland, New York
I reach. I draw lines. I paint movement and sound.
Making art, I take my next breath with each stroke. Writing stories, I create a movie of words from my mind’s eye. I paint the dance inside my head. My artistic practice emanates from what I see and feel and speaks to those with similar experiences and concerns about community and personal growth.
I am a puzzler. I puzzle. I choose to look at things from different directions and perspectives. I seek to know how it was created as one way of understanding its intention. I inform my own practice by learning how others make art. I visually peel back the layers to understand how the artist came to this place. I push the limits of new processes and materials to see if I can make them do what I want. I love puzzles and the problem solving challenges they foster.
I am an artist. I am descended from artists. My heritage speaks of seafarers and wanderers, seekers and writers, fiber arts, painting and drawing. By delving deep into this historical bin, I understand who I am. I deconstruct my being as a way of knowing the parts that help me create my work. I create.
Beltaine, mixed media, 2008
Samhain, mixed media, 2008
American Art Awards Online 2009
4th place - Political Commentary category
Finalist - Art Brut category
Copper Cauldron Studio is a reflection of my Norse heritage.
The folktale of the copper cauldron takes shape from ancient Battle of Trondheim. The people feared that their treasured belongings would be stolen during the fighting so they buried everything in the ground. After the war was over, they went back to dig up their belongings but the goods were nowhere to be found. An old hag advised them to dig by the light of the midsummer night moon and so they did. One story tells of a man who came upon a copper cauldron filled with riches. When he tried to get it out of the ground, he was distracted by the sight of huge flames engulfing his home. He ran back to his home only to find that there was no fire. Returning to where he was digging, the copper cauldron was gone. The meaning I take from this story is that one should keep their eye on the prize or lose it all.
It is this vision that keeps me, as an artist, on the path.
