Fascinated by the natural processes of growth and decay, I push boundaries to capture the bold and fragile essence of life.
Ever since I was a child, I have been absorbed by patterns found in nature.
As a fledgling artist, I started with cold connections, moved on to heat processes, chemical etching, patination, reticulation, then casting, fabrication, and fold-forming. I invented a process for coating botanicals with metal clay slip and burning away the original form to reveal a fine silver replica.
I am fascinated by the sea, by patterns in nature, floral radiographs, magnified sand, annual pod production, the perfect fractal math represented in Romanesco broccoli and the nautilus, how carnivorous plants invite their prey … adaptation, reproduction, life cycles, and death.
My expression is driven by my desire to learn and combine processes, techniques and disparate materials, by pure raw emotion; a longitudinal, evolving practice that starts with form, texture, and color. I intend to represent what it means to be alive, to leave something for the next generations.
I am currently exploring electroforming, torch-firing enamels, glass casting, sand encrusting, incorporating the softness of fibers, and the hard permanence of sea fossils and smooth stones. My goal is to create lasting but delicate representations of the vulnerable natural world.
My recent work incorporates silver and copper, together with needle felted wool or fabric knot work, enamel, pearls, coral, and gems. Copper mesh is reminiscent of fishing nets; strands of fabric flow like jellyfish tendrils; iridescent and shimmering light of pearls and glass contrast with smooth and hearty eroded fossils; these latest works represent the vibrant life we experience in our ocean: endless blues, greens, shades of coral and lava red draw focus to the connections that we all share with the sea. I have been exploring methods and devising strategies for combining metal with enamel, textiles, shells, and stones to create treasures that appear to have been dredged right from the ocean floor. Currently, I am working on a process to electroform and color actual coral and botanicals. I like my work to be well-planned and executed, but I am thrilled by its spontaneous, unpredictable, and imperfect outcome.
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