Art: Past, Present and Future
New Ceramic Art
Work in Progress on my "Elegant" line of pottery which I will most likely not end up selling, once I get it dialed in. 2023
Pollinator Rock, 5" x 4", ceramic materials, transfer, electric fired. 2023
Part of a large installation of 100 rocks in Whatcom Falls Park, coming January, 2024.
Part of a large installation of 100 rocks in Whatcom Falls Park, coming January, 2024.
Flower and Stone, 6.5" x 2.5", ceramic, wire. 2023
Polli Nation, 6" x 3" closed form with birds and bees, 2023
Bee Stone, ceramic, 3" x 3.5", 2023
Birds and Bees Mug, 14 oz, 2023
Pollinator Mug and Details, 16 oz, 2023
Cleansing History, Washington Crossing the Delaware 21" x 5.75" ceramic materials, 2023
Thrown and Altered Ceramic Sculpture: Founders' Rock, made of ceramic materials 7.5" x 8" x 4.5" 2023
Thrown and altered sculpture, Zipper, 10" x 10" x 4.5" made of ceramic materials. 2023
Motherboards
This is work I have been fiddling with for quite a while, it is a relative of the work I did around Grief with my salvaged wood and felt mixed media paintings. These are abstract portraits of mothers I have known and know of, people who have done everything they could to birth people, objects, and ideas into the world. It is a real turning point for me to be making such hopeful work during this dark time. All are made with salvaged wood, paint, New Zealand wool felt, nails, and string. The are meant to be a comment on the reality of motherhood by using the metaphor of a computer motherboard. Mothers do what they can with what they have and hold everything together against all odds. When mothers are supported and taken care of, communities and societies run well. When they are abused, exploited and neglected, they fall apart. These are an Ode to the great mothers of the past, present and future.
"Berna" 3.5" x 3.5", 2022
"Maria", 9.5" x 6", 2022
What A Time to Be Alive
Work begun of Spring of 2022. Exploring "Irony is the best policy" thinking, with smiley faces and stars taking a central focus in the work.
Commission Painting
I created this painting using 8 different pictures the surgeon sent me as source materials. I chose elements and aspects of each picture to include in the final painting. This piece is three feet square, but have done much larger and much smaller. Completed in November of 2021.
If you are interested in commissioning me, just email me.
If you are interested in commissioning me, just email me.
New Mixed Media Work
While I have taken on the new pottery line, I have also recalibrated and restarted the mixed media salvaged wood work I have been making. I will continue with this line of work as I create pottery.
Grasslands Pottery Line
Bubble Pottery Line
“Ode to Joy” 2020
A short film about a woman who creates a religion centered on Joy amidst the chaos of the first half of 2020. Release: September 2020
Follow this link to watch my short film. https://youtu.be/80UU7OGB1WY
Buoyant Hope
Work in progress on this sculptural piece exploring pressure, anxiety, and hope in the midst of darkness.
Smash my Joy
First in a new series of sculptural work on the same theme... though working with visual weight and such is changing concept for me a bit. This is a work in Progress.
“The Light Comes In” 2020
Salvaged wood, felt, paint, glue
A commission piece. The work is about what happens when I let dead things go. The life that fills the vacancy is so much more than I could have imagined.
12” x 13”
A commission piece. The work is about what happens when I let dead things go. The life that fills the vacancy is so much more than I could have imagined.
12” x 13”
“Virus” 2020
I came down with the virus in the beginning of April. For six weeks, I lay in bed, vacillating between exhaustion and the electric feeling the pain in my chest sent through my body. I slept for roughly 16 hours each day, and went in and out of a profound sadness and deeply painful emotional revelations that cast their shadow on everything in my small, isolated world. This piece is one which came to me in a dream... and it took a total of 4 weeks to complete it, as my body would not let me do much other than lie still.
7” x 11”
salvaged wood, felt, house paint, glue
7” x 11”
salvaged wood, felt, house paint, glue
The "Relationship" series, 2020 and on.As I have moved through "Loss," I have begun to examine what it is I feel like I am losing, and the loss often centers not on a specific person, but the dynamic of relationship and how this, in its most basic form, acts as a mirror. As I lose relationships in my life, those mirrors grow murky as new ones appear. I continue to work with the materials I have grown to love, but now consider a new topic, relationship, and how that serves to bring more of me out and into the world.
These pieces are all quite small, and part of the point of the work is the way each piece relates to the pieces that surround it. Loss of Relationships
An image before First Friday Art Walk at Cafe Velo in Bellingham. Each piece represents a relationship. Once the relationship piece is sold, it is taken down and an empty space is left for the viewers to wonder what they missed.
"Cyclical" 2019
This is about rolling with what is going on in one relationship even as it echoes relationships of the past, even as I might be blind to the ways I relate redundantly, I still manage to find the new in the worn through habits I carry forward with me. Almost every relationship I maintain is in some way a tribute to my mom, my dad, and my twin brother, as they have all had a hand in setting the template which has become the framework for all of my relationships.
Salvaged wood, glue, paint, felt
"Happy Memories," 2019 is about the holding on to the memory of the beginning of a relationship in order to justify the relationship going forward. I tend to do this, work harder at the relationships with more history behind them, no matter what the challenge. Sometimes it works out.
Salvaged wood, glue, paint, felt
Group Shot, 2019
There is power in these small pieces, I hold them closely and use cotton swabs to rub the paint on, the process of creation feels more precious until I hang them in a group on the wall and begin to do different things with each other, things I could not have anticipated.
Installation of group, "Relationship," 2019
I have found new meaning in these small pieces and what they do with each other. It gives me an opportunity to work differently with scale and color in a way that the larger ones didn't
Salvaged wood, glue, paint, felt
"Just Us" 2019 is about the relationship where the vacuum that a couple creates around themselves eventually destroys the relationship.
salvaged wood, glue, paint, felt
"Happiness," 2019
This piece explores the particular kind of happiness I feel when I surround myself with people who can be a mirror for me; people who reflect back to me who I am, and who I might one day become. These people show me possibilities I had never even dreamt of, and walk me through the painful parts of who I have been.
Salvaged wood, paint, glue, felt
The "Loss" series, 2018 and on.
"Metaphor Illustrated" 2020 Salvaged wood, paint, felt, glue. 15" x 11"
The more that I look for meaning in the odds and ends of my life, the more I tend to find it. The art I make provides me with more insight into my life than I sometimes care to have, but this is why I make, in order to know and be more comfortable with myself.
"Variations of Love" 5" x 9.5" The energetic engagement of my heart can be distracting, joyful, comforting, disquieting and even fearsome. I cannot control it but marvel at its power over me.
2019
"The Crush of Progress" 39" x 7.5"
I am afraid of losing my humanity in the disconnected way I have been experiencing life through devices. I see art generated by computers, talk with people who don't know the pure joy of using their hands to make. I worry that we will lose our compassion for one another in favor of progress. My work, this work is not just about the loss of my relationship, it is about the loss of relationships in general. It is my hope that greater life will spring from this death, but I am worried that it might not.
2019
"Release"
This is about where I hold my anger, grief, sadness and resentment in my body, and the illusion that keeps me from releasing it all is that its about other people, but its always about my insecurities and fears. When I come to that realization all the emotional weight just falls away; not easily, and not without pain.
2019, 9" x 7"
"Great Blue"
After my dad died, long ago, I got very drunk and stumbled down and into the ocean. I screamed out at it...my sorrow and anger was always sitting just below the surface of my skin back then.
I dove in, thought it was cold...and I felt better, supported. I felt okay. Now that I live near the ocean I consider it my great comfort, and a way to be in touch with the people in my life who have passed on.
2019 8.5" x 7.75"
"Summer,"
So much of my emotional state is seasonal. I have been trained by past relationships to long for the people I love, and recognize that I feel comfort in that longing, and a curious lack of ease when those same people are around too long. This is about the comfort of my longing.
2019 14" x 10"
"Always in the Spring." 2019 18.75" x 13"
"Swiftly" 2019 5.25" x 7.25"
"The Believer" 2019
9.5" x 28"
"Toxic Depths"
This is about everything I swallow, all the needs, the passion, the desire, the weakness, in favor of being loved. In the end what I swallow swallows me, and no amount of external validation can cure the sickness I have created by squelching my needs.
2018
26" x 11"
Strength, 2019
2" x 7.5"
"Progress" 2019 12"x10"
Players in the Game, 17" x 12.5"
2019
Oceans of Hope, 12.5" x 33"
2019
In Two, 10.75" x 10.75"
2019
Too Tall, 22" x 6"
2019
Fences, 2019
40" x 11"
About the walls we build to protect ourselves which in the end keeps all things from entering.
Detail, Fences, 2019
Detail
Fences, 2019
Becoming, 2018
Salvaged wood, paint, glue, needle felted wool
2' x 3'
Indecision, 2018
Salvaged wood, paint, glue, needle felted wool
5.5' x 8"
Life Begins at Heartbreak, 2018. Salvaged wood, glue, paint, needle felted wool. 21"' x 53"
Blue Heron, 2018. Salvaged wood, glue, paint, needle felted wool. 10" x 1.75'
Newspaper, 2018. Salvaged wood, glue, paint, needle felted wool 2' x 3'
Loss: Artist StatementAs of 5/2018, this is my new series of work. The work is about what I can't control, and what goes on under the surface of things. I have been ruminating on loss and the wearing away of the surface to reveal reality and life. From each death comes new life and opportunity. The felt balls are the representation of that new life.
I find salvaged wood, glue it together, then wear it down with a sander, a drill and a Dremmel tool. I rub the paint on with a rag in many layers, the first being black. This creates a shine to the surface and an atmospheric quality that speaks about time and the character of an item that has been well-loved. I fill some of the cracks I have made with paint and spackle, then make small felt balls to fill the empty spaces. This work is both formal and conceptual in nature, as I am always working with color relationships as well as surface play to convey meaning.
Created for shows in 2018 and beyond. Further exploration of self-love and what it means to be human.
The paintings are about memory, how the details of the event or object fade, but with the passing of time, the emotions grow stronger. This is why the objects are abstract and the small felt hearts are boxed within. 
Love Yo'Self
A coloring book created to inspire self-love and body confidence. Printed with the generous help of about 100 supporters on Kickstarter.
2016 Spinal Surgery.
A commission I created for a spinal surgeon in Indiana. May, 2016.
He sent me a picture of he and his crew in the midst of an operation then directed me to alter the background in order to highlight the work. Fix-it GirlDoll, cast iron soap dish, shadow frame. 2017
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"Divided" 10' x 14", Salvaged wood, paint, wool felt. 2019
No Means No.
A comment on the fear women feel when saying no to men about anything in a Patriarchy. 10" heart with tiny words, "No Means No" the juxtaposition of the large and soft heart and the tiny words express the smallness women feel and the strategy we sometimes employ to get out of things we don't want to do.
2018 Body Confidence Folk ArtOne drawing a day derived from my body confidence selfie project. All are for sale, originals, prints too. Just go to my Print Website.
2016 Mounted Balls
I used to make a lot of ceramic balls. I finally started hanging them on walls. I liked them better that way, and it gave them a bit more visual tension and more interesting visual relationship.
Clay, glaze, 1998 Pelvis
One in a series of paintings I produced to sell as prints on my artist's website.
Acrylic on Canvas, 2010 Bend in the Road?
I made many ceramic landscape boxes. This is one.
Clay, low-fire glaze, 2004 One Year of Love.
One picture per day, for one year. A picture of all or part of my naked body with a positive message written over it. This led to my body postive drawings and eventually my coloring book.
2015 - 2016 Cleaning is ScaryDoll, broom, spigot, spindle. 2017
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The Art of Chemistry
This piece was made out of old chemistry glass and boxes I had made. The idea was to take these highly functional items, items which in many cases are the tools for scientific breakthrough, and make them purely decorative. I also enjoyed playing with the visual tension of the glass hanging to float above the bottoms of the boxes.
Glass, ceramic, wood, paint, 2012
Glass, ceramic, wood, paint, 2012
Ribbing
One in a series of painting I produced to sell as prints on my artist's website.
Acrylic on canvas, 2010 Scrub
A piece from a series exploring the Fairy tale Snow White through the lens of Buddhism. Map, book page, crayon, 2013 High Function.Hot handle, steel tube, steel crank, felt, wood, paint. 2015
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Delicate
I put a lot of things together to make art. It is easy, playful and fun. Then I use the title to direct the viewer, if possible. Also, I really like pulleys. Mixed media, 2011 Stuffed.Paper, lanterns, wire mesh basket. 2016
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Blue and Orange Ball
I love ceramic balls. My ultimate goal is to sit around all day making ceramic balls to glaze. Clay, glaze, 2010 Love in a Bottle.Doll, pin, bottle. 2015
Caging Brilliance
Another workplace piece. They were giving away these bulbs and these metal spikes, so I combined them to comment on the relationship between idea and execution. Mixed media, 2010 |
Flower
I make ceramic balls. You will see many of them here. Clay, glaze, 2010 Big Green Dot
Did I mention that I like balls? |
Lumbar
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You're a Star
Mostly, I really like creating very simple forms to glaze. I am a big fan of combining contrasting textures with color. This ball is what the magic of sports is all about.
Clay, glaze, 2010
Dead Fields
Another in the series of landscapes. Clay, glaze, 2003 |
Kids
A painting for my friends. Their children. 2010 |
Maps and Books
I like putting maps on maps and then mounting books in front of them. 2012 |
Hill with Poppies
I created a series of about 100+ ceramic wall boxes with various landscapes on them. This is one.
Clay, glaze, 2003 Cliffs and Mist
One of the landscape series.
Clay, glaze, 2003 |
Warrior One
Piece from series exploring the fairy tale Snow White through the lens of Buddhism.
Maps, crayon, book page, 2013 |
Untitled
This is 30 inches tall, made from two metal bottle stands and a round bottom flask. I think the blue wall behind this piece is actually making it more interesting than it is. Mixed media, 2013 |
Which
These were found in drawers in the office. I like the visual tension the combination creates. I also think it is funny. Mixed media, 2013 |
Lucky
I think this one is not yet finished. We will see. Mixed media, 2013 |
CARRY
Carry, detail
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This piece was about the emotional history we carry around on our physical bodies. The figure in the drawing is pushing against the edges of the drawing to suggest the misguided belief that her struggles are of an external nature. I used a bunch of low-fired pinch pots and hung them on the wall with hooks through the drawing. As you might have guessed by looking at this piece, I took myself very seriously at this point in time. Clay, glaze, paper, pastel, 1997 |
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Carry Too
This was a follow up to Carry, taking the emotion off the body and into blackberry vines. It was meant to be protective, threatening, as if what burdens also comforts. Still taking myself very seriously here. Blackberry vine, clay, low-fire salt glaze, 1998 |
River
Another from my series of ceramic boxes. Clay, low-fire glaze, 2004 |
Decorative
Decorating functional objects was a theme of mine. Although while the Mayans used these to store corn liquor, I am not sure just how often they were used after that. Clay, low-fire glaze, 1997 |
Egg
One of the eggs from my thesis exhibit. At this point I could not deny the fact that I was just making forms to decorate. It was a liberating admission, though also simultaneously quite trite. Clay, glaze, humility, 1999 |
Spine
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Ball
This is my first ball I ever mounted to the wall. So simple, yet, so brilliant. Clay, glaze, wall, 1997 |
Best Egg Ever
This was my favorite egg. I put a low fire yellow glaze on it, fired it, then went over it with a blue translucent glaze. Before the kiln had cooled too much, I cracked the lid to get this crackle effect. It would go on to be my BEST EGG EVER.
Rolling Hills
I did several multi-piece ceramic landscapes. It seemed like a logical next step.
Clay, glaze, wood, 2004
Clay, glaze, wood, 2004
