Artist Statement
CVFrom the outside in, from the inside out, art whispers, “See, behold, what is in your world?” Once I begin the creative process, space opens for surprising new images and ideas to occur. My sculptures and works on paper typically include a figure ensconced or encircled by some form of flora or fauna—my companions, my source of inspiration. Being covered in vines, thorns, birds, or clover—a metaphor that has become a dominate theme in my work – is about how we shape ourselves and our world, how we are shaped, and what seeks to emerge. The open heads suggest an inward journey, a psychological enquiry –into how we hold ourselves in the confluence of luck, fate, chance, and choice, and how they converge to shape our lives. My experience in Africa-- the people, the beauty, the art --still lives with me and influences my work. Their art was both ancient and timeless, both utilitarian and high art: blankets of mythology, carved out prayers—which is ultimately the purpose of my art: to reveal what I see as meaningful in my experience and reach for a more transcendent one.
