Artist Statement

Feeling. Intuiting. Sensing.

Two words in particular – ‘I feel’ – encapsulate my work. Indeed, I feel the ‘elements and principles’ of design are in my DNA. Thirty years of teaching primarily fashion and design, has inspired me to apply these concepts to 2 dimensional surfaces. I generally use canvas, but I am inspired by the unique textures created with heavy weight paper and wood panel. My mixed media include acrylics, mediums, charcoals, and oil pastels.

Intuiting. While I enjoy illustration, my preference is intuitive expression. The blank substrate is beautiful. Like some other artists I begin with words: under multiple paint layers are inspiring thoughts, connecting themes, and people’s names: this is my beginning. Currently I use rather limited palettes, particularly whites and neutrals or blues and yellows. You may observe distinct gestural marks are a favourite of mine: these are made as I work around the canvas.

Sensing. I do not use an easel. While the odd time my canvas might be propped up against a wall, in fact, the majority of the time I paint flat, either on the floor or tabletop. A friend of mine commented that “I paint like a child”, crawling around on the floor. And, yes, I do.

Here you see “Dance of the Cosmos”, which has an extreme asymmetrical composition. I love the attention this composition attracts because it is so unique and draws the observer into the work. The central focus of my work is not what the viewer sees - but rather what the viewer feels.