My art is a celebration. It has elements of humor, whimsy, joy and ritual. It is a reflection of what I believe in and would like to see. Perhaps the positive ripples of joyful vibrations bring the world closer to being like that. That could be cockeyed optimism or it could be very true. 

MIXED MEDIA

When I was a little girl, my mother wouldn't let me use coloring books. She was a nursery school teacher and brought home reams of paper and we had tons of all types of art supplies to make things with. They were always available and she encouraged me to use them. My mother has been an inspiration and an important influence in my life and art. 

I call myself a mixed media artist because I do many different processes--drawing, painting, collage, papier maché, relief print making and sculpture. Over time I have collected mementos, souvenirs, paper scraps, stickers, printed materials and an array of fabric and objects. Each of my collage elements has a history. My art process is personal and intimate, low tech, right in my studio. I like to drip and spatter paint, make marks with a thick black pencil, use washes, smear paint with my hands, intertwine textures, patterns and images and then layer embellishments on top. 

PERSONAL MYTHOLOGY

Nature: As a child, I spent a lot of time in the woods, exploring in and around a lake and adjoining forest in northern Ohio. In my early 20s I landed in the mountains of Potter Valley and immersed myself in the forest again. The people who I became friends with were caretakers of the land. I learned skills and shared their experience of living in harmony with the earth. When I joined a Pagan Circle, the experience of celebrating the sacredness of nature with a group, powerfully affected my art. 

Ducks: Many people associate me with ducks. Some years ago, in my studio in Talmage, the duck god came to me in a spiral of white light. I refer to this event as my "ab-duck-tion." That night I stayed up and spontaneously created my first papier-mache piece since I was a kid--a mask of the duck god. Papier-mache has been one of my favorite mediums ever since. For me, working in three dimensions invokes alchemical energy--creating something from nothing. After receiving the duck totem, I started "going to church" at a duck pond. For me watching ducks is a peaceful and blissful activity. Ducks are transformational beings. They waddle, fly, swim, and migrate and are part of all the elements. Quacking is a happy sound that I doubt intimidates anyone. When I make this sound, it puts me at ease in situations where I don't know what to say. It helps me to remember to just BE. 

The duck goddess made her appearance a few years later. In her honor, I created an elaborate series as the focus for my Masters thesis - an entire Egyptian tomb with a life size papier-mache sarcophagus, mummy, artifacts that were buried with the mummy, and tomb paintings depicting scenes from her life. My duck goddess tomb showed at several galleries including MADE in Mendocino in Hopland. Her sarcophagus was later used in a street theater piece during the Off Shore Oil Hearings in Fort Bragg. 

Dada: Years ago just prior to a DADA festival in Ukiah, I stated out loud my desire to channel the energy of the old Dadaists. I picked up an Architectural Digest sitting in front of me to look for some collage images and "by chance" opened exactly to an article about Marcel Duchamp, the daddy of Dada. This synchronicity became a core inspiration for my work-in-process at that time which I named "Channeling the Old Dadaists." 

The Dada movement sprang from the aftermath of World War I. Its message is no message--it is art from randomness with a flavor of cynicism. I have turned this around to optimistic playful randomness--a strong element and influence in my work. I am particularly inspired and attracted to the interdisciplinary approach of Dada which includes parades, performance and three dimensional explorations. 

Buddhism: The Buddhist tradition is also part of my spiritual path. The repetition of a mantra has provided an inspiration and a doorway, an entry into a new way of thinking. I find strength and security in the ancient depth of this tradition and the emphasis on blessing all life and sentient beings as part of one whole. I see my life, my path and my art are all about spirituality. This includes Paganism, Buddhism, Ducks and Love. 

SHAPE SHIFTER SERIES

My recently completed series called Shape Shifters features a large mask that took over two years to complete. I worked on this piece in Ukiah, San Jose, Bellingham, Washington and Fort Bragg, in a total of about eight studios. Its character shifted and transformed as it followed me around--curves and lines would compose themselves, spread out and encompass me. I could sometimes see and feel them. It was like when you first have a crush on someone and are infatuated. You kind of chase them around and they chase you around. I feel a bit of a chasing happening at the beginning of a series. 

So the mask seemed to have a mind of its own--it turned into a moon and then a sun and then into a totally different piece, at which point I started over again, and then the form finally started manifesting. Fire on the left side of this mask transforms into water on the right and the boat in the forehead symbolizes the voyage we take to do our own inner exploration. 

The Sphinx was the other major icon in the Shape Shifter series. I made a papier-mâché sculpture, paintings prints and collages of the Sphinx. She emerged for me as a part woman, part duck figure. Egyptian symbols and icons powerfully and directly connect me to the inner world of the archetypes. This language takes us beyond time to a universal experience. 

A collage called "Passing Through" is an example of another recurring theme--the funerary boat into the afterlife. This piece speaks to the cycles of life and death. 

My own father died three days after its completion. This showed me that synchronicity can document lessons and phases of living, transforming and evolving. 

My art immerses me in life lessons. The Shape Shifter is teaching me not to be stuck in form and structure but rather to learn to flow with change. It suggests the multidimensional layering of reality, the dance of life that changes from moment to moment and connects us across the world of space and time. 

TEACHING

Creativity is contagious. I love to be in a room full of people who are making things, expressing themselves. Teaching is total sharing. It counterbalances the private experience of producing art in my studio. By looking at examples of art from many cultures and through time, including contemporary works, students become stimulated and charged with ideas. I encourage them to experiment and play in conjunction with technical and design considerations. I have taught all ages, children and adults, within the schools, for art centers and privately in my studio. I like to create a safe "art nest" full of materials to inspire and help people tap into their creativity. When I teach assemblage and collage workshops, I send out a list of materials for people to compile and add to what I supply. Our collage smorgasbord includes postage stamps, lace, brocade, magazines, printed materials and collections that have personal meaning. 

Over the years, I have taught all the processes I use as an artist, including painting, drawing, collage and papier-mâché. I set up each space to dissipate fear. Overlapping of materials loosens people up so they can open to possibilities that surprise them. When I teach I see my role as a creative catalyst. The shared experience becomes a point of personal embarkation on the creative journey. 

My art is a celebratory concoction of elements-rich materials and media, ritual and always includes the space for synchronicities and surprises. This is art making at its best. I am on a quest and along for the ride all at the same time.