I am an Artist who also knows how to craft. That makes me a maker. I work with my hands and my heart.
I paint with thread, my chosen tool for that creative process is a loom, and that makes me a weaver. I have been weaving since 1991, and turned professional in 2018 when I retired from my technical career.
I like to make marks with paint and ink, that makes me a printer and a painter as well. I consider a crayon to one of my favorite tools.
When I print, my favorite techniques are collagraphy from recycled materials and most recently, letterpress printed on a proofing press. There are no large editions.
I also like to work with paper, cardboard, string, wire and fabric.
I gather ideas from both nature and books, and from Pinterest – I use it as a giant morgue file. The pictures are a starting point, I never intend for you to follow the link, just see the image. My working process is to create my own drawings and patterns.
I enjoy research into the history of weaving, learning about people, looms, and the designs that were in use in the late 1700’s through the mid 1800’s. That particular moment is special to me because it is the moment just before the Jacquard loom was invented and the world changed forever.
I use Excel as my favorite weaving software. I am not afraid of technology, but I want it to be a tool, not the result of my efforts.
My Why:
I believe creative play builds stronger communities by increasing the feeling of connectedness.
Through the completion of art projects together, we build healthy relationships, take risks, and improve our artistic skills.
With these, we have the right tools to make a positive impact at home and in the world when we share ourselves and our talents with others.
I am building an artist community. Do you want to come play with me?
My strengths are connectedness, inclusion, learning, context, and restoration. I also am an activator, responsible communicator, and a self-assured strategic thinker. I can troubleshoot on the fly, design, implement, and fail, for a long period on multiple projects without losing sight of the ultimate goal. In a former life I worked in research and development as a support engineer for scientists because of these strengths.
As an artist, it gives me a source of optimism and joy that shows in my work. My inner world is a place of hope, and happiness. When in the studio, I naturally facilitate and encourage others.
This has lead me to build a public studio practice so that I have the opportunity to interact with people on a daily basis. I use the studio as part of my personal wellness routine, it is a safe zone where all kinds of ideas and issues can be considered without fear or repercussion.
I am also driven to explore, because I am naturally curious, hence my research into the past and my love of going to new places.
I crave mastery over my work, and therefore I am willing to complete a project multiple times to achieve the image I see in my mind’s eye. You can be assured that the work that I show is not my first attempt, but the result of a lengthy iterative process.
I try not to giggle when someone asks me: “How long does it take you to make that?” My second favorite question is why would anyone want to make that, it takes too much time. The why in this case, is because I can, and in so doing, it preserves tangible evidence of traditional artistic labor for another generation.
A click here to view a short YouTube video about my work
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