For the past four decades, I have combined disparate materials to create cohesive compositions and solve problems, generating quirky, compelling visual narratives. My principle technique is collage and assemblage.
Informed by a strong sense of design and guided by my intuition, I arrange objects to permit an inner dialogue to unfold. I move components around instinctively, while articulating certain areas with drawing and painting, until the composition clicks into being. Whether I engage with natural or manufactured materials, I let the textures, shapes, colors and unique aspects of a particular set of objects guide my process. I use old, authentic stuff - rusty wire coils, vintage paper dolls, outdated metal fittings, seashells, antique toys, old tools, springs, utensils. I depend on the richness of character, patina, history and personality of these objects. The resulting assemblages may take the form of a figure or creature, sometimes alone, and sometimes a tableau.
In addition to my collage and assemblage studio work, I have pursued robust careers in pre-digital graphic design and landscape design which have enlivened my artistic practice. Whether meeting a client’s need for a collaged book cover, creating a cohesive landscape from a large plant palette, or crafting an off-beat assemblage from found objects to satisfy a personal impulse, my approach is the same. My creativity stems from an affinity for design, a desire to explore idiosyncratic materials, and a curiosity to uncover meaning.