Mixed Media

My entry into mixed media began several years ago during a period of time I lived back in my home town where there is a beautiful park. The wild there is largely intact. With my many walks throughout the seasons, it became my refuge. I’ve always been inspired by nature—especially trees with their bark of varied tones and textures. I started collecting natural objects, seeing the random beauty of sycamore bark, wild indigo, and locust bean pods. Eventually, the pieces came together into works of art combining fabric and other textured findings and found objects.

I love the tactile nature of mixed media—the art of combining  materials of various texture and depth and exploring techniques to create one cohesive piece. The materials I am most drawn to are fiber and found objects, especially from natural sources. There’s a particular freedom of expression that I find with this medium, as well as a sense of adventure in the exploring of ideas. It also includes the art of engineering—how to bring the various elements together, whether through sewing, collage, painting, adhering, or assemblage. Essentially, it becomes a cooperative venture between myself and the elements I incorporate, as each piece takes on a life of its own, coalescing into a unified whole larger than the sum of its parts.