I have been an artist for as long as I remember.  Or at least since I was 10 when my mother gave me art supplies for my birthday.  No other gift has ever thrilled me as much and I still feel that pulse of possibility when I open a new box of supplies. Of course, I am never satisfied with just a few colors or glazes I must have them all because I can imagine so many fascinating possibilities. I think of my studio as the What if…? zone because that is what keeps me coming back day after day, the infinite possibilities I can imagine, and the wondering of what might happen if….   

As far as the nuts and bolts of my life, I have lived in the San Juans for 39 years.  I came for a weekend and never left. During these years I have taught art both to children and adults, married and raised a family, remodeled our house, and built many flower gardens. Our kids span the gamut of career choices; scientist, zoo-keeper, coffee roaster, and mountain climbing guide. By comparison my adventure to Orcas in my mid 20’s seems very tame now, though at the time it was quite adventurous. Educationally there are some letters that follow my name – BFA and ED.M in Leadership with an emphasis in narrative studies. In other words, the stories we tell about our lives, our culture, and how these mesh or not with the greater social story. But mostly what this means is that I am fascinated with myths and fairy tales and how they form a backdrop to our daily lives.

So ultimately it is these stories that shape the art I make.  Over the span of my career, I have moved from painting and drawing to fabric collage and textile sculptures, and now to clay. But the thread of storytelling is what ties them all together. When I begin work on a new piece, I don’t generally have a theme in mind, but some image will burst forth and tell me what the story is. Sometimes, one piece is so alive in my mind it becomes a series where I explore the story over and over again, just because it gives me joy. And of course, color. Let’s not forget color!