Artist Statement

My art, like my life, is about finding an equilibrium between freedom and order, chaos and stillness. I live in Portland, Oregon, and enjoy all the energy a vibrant city has to offer, yet I also live surrounded by fern forests and need the quiet of solitary walks in nature. My work oscillates between being full of dynamic marks and brushstrokes and areas of soothing calm.

Sometimes one dominates, sometimes the other. I explore this contrast in my recent "Remains of the Day" series using a quilt motif to establish order to randomness.  Instead of dipping into my scrap basket for fabrics, I get my materials from the recycling bin.  Layers of junk mail, packaging, and discarded magazines blend with paint and sanding to form their own fabrics.  Quilt blocks or geometric structures impose an orderly stillness to the scrappy bits while calling attention to their beauty and elevating them beyond the landfill.