"Wonderfully precocius and delightfully rebellious" was the way one teacher had described me. Having survived the turbulence of my youth, and finally settling in to the idea of a structured education, I thought I would pursue a career in fashion design. Textiles particularly sparked my interest. The wide range of draping qualities, textures, sheen and 'hand' of the materials offered a myriad of possibilites. Not far from my Associates Degree, I left the Fashion Institute of Design because I felt like something deep and intangible was missing.
Three months later I found myself working as a group home manager in Los Angeles. I split my time between two boy's homes and one girl's home. It was one of the most challenging and rewarding times of my life. Creating visual art became a way for me to process my experiences fostering and working with these high-risk youth. Continuing my career in psychiatric model programs, I watched emotional and intellectual barriers melt away in the presence of the arts. It has made a long lasting impression and as result, the psychology of art will be a focus of my graduate work.
A move to New Mexico in 2005 offered a unique opportunity for me to expand my mediums when I was introduced to the papermaking process. Using large format, hand cast papers, often made from native South Western plants, the works are mounted on board , canvas or found objects. Going a step further, many of these objects are combined with the hard medium of metal and other found things.
Integrating both hard and soft materials I strive to find balance. My works are not always concerned with any notion beyond the limits of my mediums, however the topics of social policy, environmental concerns, and the human condition motivate many of the pieces. A common thread in my work is color texture and feeling.