Statement

Much of what I create relates to the human form, reduced to a signifier in the shape of an eye. I do this for many reasons. The abstraction is easily read as human, yet remain ambiguous as to gender, race and age. It allows the viewer to identify with the images at a simple emotional level. Abstracting the form also allows me the luxury to focus on surface and color. I use many techniques to express my ideas, each depends on what I feel will best express the idea. In printmaking, I use mostly monotype for its immediacy and reductive properties. Mezzotint for its richness. In paint, I use oil for its rich color and surface. I combine this with cold wax paste to add translucency and depth. In sculpture I prefer ceramic for its placidity and surface although I have experience in metal, wood and other materials. Photography I use to capture images of the world around me, when I want something more representational. I use book arts, combined with printmaking, for narrative. I use textiles (hand woven, quilt, and surface design) for texture, pattern, and occasionally function.

When I teach, I encourage students to explore a variety of topics. First is technique. Most of the classes and workshops I instruct are specific to a technique, printmaking the most prevalent. To fulfill the student's expectation, I give a firm grounding in the methods used to create an image. I favor experimentation over creating a finished product. I feel that the amount of time to learn is limited and that the student learns more by doing more. Second, I push the student to be aware of their use of the formal elements of art in their work; color, form, and surface. Finally, we continually discuss ideas. If the student cannot express thoughts and emotions that are uniquely their own, their experience in the classroom is very limited. In the end, technical mastery produces a technician not an artist.