I grew up in Minnesota surrounded by nature which I loved with the passion and protectiveness of a child. My art comes from that same place of love, appreciation and passion. The animals and trees I encounter are real, I've seen them or imagined: hawks, owls, bobcats, wolves, dragons, Tibetan deer, the landscape of my childhood and the magnificent cottonwoods of Colorado, not to mention a myriad of other trees and even goddess like beings.. .
I feel an unquestioned desire to represent them, to convey their beauty and vitality. In our troubled world all are innocent, beautiful and precious, in great need of protecting. Perhaps my work will touch people's hearts, reminding them of the preciousness of our home and its inhabitants.
I love to make things, to have a challenge that I can meet with a trust developed over the last 25 some years knowing that the image will emerge if I just listen internally and not think, visualize without much of a plan. From that place, all arises. Whether it is a theatre mask, a tiny sculpted animal or a big painting all come from the same place.
All the work itself is covered and created with decorative paper. I use ripped or cut up paper for the paintings creating texture, color and depth. Perhaps some acrylic paint for accents. The mask and animal portraits are papier mache with paper "skins". The small figures are of self hardening clay, then covered in paper.
This is a technique I started playing with years ago making my first theatrical masks and I haven't stopped since!