Artist Statement

The shells and other natural relics I collect and study—and that animate much of my work—serve as objects I can “think” with, inviting a host of questions about the nature’s astonishing energy and powers of regeneration.

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The discipline of drawing and sculpting from these forms provides heightened awareness and forces me to be more intimate with the objects as I analyze their construction and get a sense of their “being.” Only recently did I begin to understand that this is my way of reading nature — to better understand the science and to be closer to its mysteries.

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This may explain why I am also drawn to papermaking processes:

Investigations into the synergistic bonds between water, cellulose fiber and raw pigments are a big part of my practice, captivating and providing windows into nature’s own processes. Like the objects I am so fascinated by, my paintings and sculptures are artifacts of an ongoing collaboration.

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