Artist Statement
Growing up on a general farm in Northwest Ohio during the 1940s and 50s has immeasurably shaped my life and my art. It was there on the land and within my family that I learned reverence for the Creator, for creation, for all creatures and for solitude. From these earliest feelings I have developed a profound connection to the earth, which I find reflected more and more in my work.
When I work intuitively and abstractly, I am drawn to spheres and contour lines. I consciously introduce these icons; then allow the piece to speak to me about its completion. Through the process, I continually experience a connection to the spiritual. It is the rhythm of solitude - of creation, of nature and of life experiences – that motivates my work and that I hope finds expression in the finished product.
My primary medium is printmaking, specifically monotypes and monoprints. Monotypes are hand-pulled fine art prints. A “plate” or surface that will not absorb the color is painted on and then printed on paper by running the plate through a printing press or by transferring the image by hand. This medium allows for a great deal of experimentation that encourages my intuitive way of working. Inks are applied to the plate with hands, brush, or brayer. Texture can be added to the plate with threads, stencils, torn paper, etc., all of which act to mask out the ink in designated places. One layer is printed and observed to decide where ink or stencils should be placed for subsequent layers.
My work has been exhibited in numerous juried and one-person shows and won awards in the Washington Metropolitan area as well as locally. I have work in private collections in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan and have done commissions for individuals and churches. I have taught classes and workshops in Ann Arbor, Idaho, the Metropolitan Washington area and locally. Leading workshops on “Listening for the Spiritual in the Creative Process” has been especially satisfying.
Education
Wittenberg University, BFA
Galleries
Arts at Canal Place, Cumberland, MD
The Gallery, Garrett County Arts Council, Oakland, MD
The Lodge At Rocky Gap State Park and Golf Resort, Cumberland, MD
Professional Affiliations
Allegany Arts Council
Allegany Area Art Alliance
Bedford Arts Council
Gelatin Plate Description
For nearly 5 years I have been using a plate of unflavored gelatin from which to print my monotypes. Since I do not have a printing press in my home, this unique way of printing monotypes by hand allows for building images with many layers of translucent/transparent ink. Transfer of the image from the plate requires only the simple pressure of my hand. The pliable surface of the gelatin allows for the use of natural objects like leaves, bark and grasses and “found” objects like cheese cloth, thread, paper and plastic as stencils to make clean- edged images. This method also allows the printmaker to use dry paper in the printing process eliminating the need to soak the paper before transfer as in traditional methods. All of my prints are done on archival papers using lightfast inks. Since I work in my home studio, I use non-toxic methods of printing using water-soluble oil paints and Akua Kolor water-soluble inks for my work.
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