On View 9.7.19 – 10.4.19 at Craighead Green Gallery

Over 14 years, this is my 7th show at the Craighead Green Gallery. I wouldn’t have guessed that my work would become as textural as it is. I have been told that my paintings have become “sculptural”…a description I like.  

Today, I rarely limit materials and I push myself to find new ways to layer surfaces. For this show, I am including one of the most deeply textured pieces I have ever created alongside very smooth paintings. My goal is to give a sense of variety and fullness within a body of work. 

My paintings have changed during the many years of working in Mexico.  A country progressive in design, the people also use very simple and basic materials to repair and repurpose things for every day use.  Many of these techniques I use in my work. 

The 10 paintings in this show, BUILD MY FIRE, feature all of the familiar materials of recent work including paint, textiles, metal, nail heads and hand stitching mixed into both monochromatic and color palettes. Edge details have become very significant to me and few paintings are without one or more metal or textile.  

I make art because I find it difficult not to do it. The initial step of my creative process is to gather my strongest thoughts and feelings.  For this work, I reached for quotes from artists. From Pablo Picasso: “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” Inspiration is often seen as the beginning when ultimately it rarely is. When we challenge ourselves to show up, we can gather the tangible and the intangible to “build the fire” that ultimately allows us to experience the delightful sizzle of inspiration. “The artist must create a spark before he can make a fire and before art is born, the artist must be ready to be consumed by the fire of its own creation.” -Auguste Rodin.

If I build a fire inside myself, the inspiration that finds me in the studio will translate to the canvas.  While it is rewarding when people see my work as beautiful, it is not my first priority. My goal is for my paintings to make a connection with people.