Artist Statement
As I free my soul to the vastness and endless wonders of nature, I find myself feeling deeply connected to and inspired by my environment. Time and again I find I am taken to places deep in my memory, and am drawn to communicate the universality of these experiences through my work. Through its evolution, my work has retained the core elements of brilliant colors, shape, and light, but is newly reflective of my fascination with nature's immense space and endless beauty.
As Pierre Bonnard said, "Without nature, there would be no art," I strive to be a conduit for nature's energy, allowing me to capture the evolving palette that surrounds us.
Painting the human figure in the studio along with exploring basic pottery, inspired me to sculpt the figure in clay. As I created beautiful forms of the figure I was enchanted by my abilities to see the model in front of me, thus forming organic representational forms by the process of adding clay.
From my childhood through the present time I have been fascinated by the beauty of rock formations and their exquisite colors. I still enjoy the process of sculpting with clay. And now, I marvel at the process of stone carving and the art of painstakingly "taking away stone material" as I create organic abstract forms. Each rock has its own color, shape, and density that dictate my carving journey. The stone "talks to me", and I try to respond in kind.
I agree with Henri Matisse that "Creativity takes courage",and appreciate Alberto Giacometti's saying: "The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality with the same intensity."