Artists Statement
My inclination is representational abstraction, with color, hue, gradations and gestural marks in my work. Nature and natural aspects of my environment are what I choose to interpret. I select images, concepts, or ideas for inspiration, and deconstruct them in a way that interpretation is left to the viewer, much like an inkblot, even as my intent is left transparent. Combining unrelated aspects can lead to surprising analogies. I investigate the dynamics of the landscape, including the manipulation of its effects and the limits of presentation based on the assumptions and narratives of what the landscape means. My work can sometimes radiate a cold violence, much like an angry sea; or sometimes a haunting beauty, like the calm after a storm. To test the boundaries and sharpen my abstractions, experimentation and the accidental are a large part of my work. As Helen Frankenthaler once said, “You have to know how to use the accident, how to recognize it, how to control it, and ways to eliminate it so that the whole surface looks felt and born all at once”. The accidental can sometimes be better than the original concept. By utilizing abstraction, I formalize the coincidental and emphasize the conscious process of composition that is behind the seemingly random works.
My canvas is typically not canvas at all – but can be wood, glass, silk or metal.
Relevant Education
2012-2013 Stained Glass Shop, Glendale, AZ, Warm Glass Education
2014-present Bullseye Glass, Portland, OR, Warm Glass Education
2015 Portland Community College, Portland, OR, Drawing for Pleasure
2017-2021 Savannah College of Art and Design, eLearning MFA program, Savannah, GA
Studied under: Gil Reynolds, Stacy Lynn Smith, Bonnie Celeste, Ann Cavanaugh, Skyler McCaughey
Juried Markets
12/4/18 Walters Cultural Art Center Artisan Shop, Hillsboro, OR
11/26/16 Hillsboro Holly Days, Hillsboro, OR
8/8/16 Orenko Fest, Hillsboro, OR
9/24/16 Affordable Art Show, Hillsboro, OR
9/10/16 Care Partners Care to Dance Event, Hillsboro, OR
8/26-30/16 Oregon State Fair Artisans Market, Salem, OR
12/6/15 Cornelius Pass Holiday Market, Hillsboro, OR
11/28/15 Hillsboro Holly Days, Hillsboro, OR
11/25/15 Orenco Station Farmer’s Market, Hillsboro, OR
11/21/15 Grout Elementary Holiday Bazaar, Portland, OR
10/17/15 Scratch Made Market, Beaverton Merchant Hall, Beaverton, OR
10/11&18/15 Orenco Station Farmer's Market, Hillsboro, OR (2 markets)
8/8/15 Celebrate Hillsboro Arts and Crafts Showcase, Hillsboro, OR
Galleries/Gift Shops/Installations
10/2022 - present - Golden Road Art Studios/North Shore Gallery, Hillsboro, OR
11/16/20 - 12/31/20 - Walters Cultural Arts Center Virtual Artisans Marketplace
6/2018-2020 Strange Angels Art Gallery, Port Orford, OR
4/2016-present Pizzario Wood Fire Restaurant, Hillsboro, OR
3/2016-1/2020 ArtWorks Gallery, Cedar City, UT
6/2015-10/17 Walters Cultural Arts Center, Hillsboro, OR
Collections
Private Collection, Goodyear and Phoenix, AZ
Private Collection, Williamsburg, VA
Private Collection, Oklahoma City, OK
Private Collection, Springville and West Valley City, UT
Private Collection, Denver, CO
Private Collection, Hillsboro and Salem, OR
Private Collection, Chicago, IL
Publications
John William Howard, Hillsboro Tribune, September 14, 2017, “Glass Artist brings affordable creativity to show at fairgrounds”, https://www.pamplinmedia.com/ht/117-hillsboro-tribune-news/372294-255695-glass-artist-brings-affordable-creativity-to-show-at-fairgrounds?fbclid=IwAR0POVrTybHtkNqUSd1FQbCrJrFjoLBupClFbCFYGw9UqFdkf-h1UhagSFU
Quarterly, Hillsboro Arts Magazine, The Walters Gift Shop photography, through 2017
September 2010 Bead Style Magazine- “Our Favorite Pick”, page 14 – glass pearls, filigree, Swarovski, paint-sticks
Awards
2017-2020 - Academic Scholarship, Savannah College of Art and Design