The abstract paintings of Plains native American Indian women decorated a certain class of rawhide containers called parfleches.  Efficiency and organization were essential to the Plains Indian nomadic way of life. Parfleches, also called envelopes, are lightweight, durable, and weatherproof containers that were needed to transport and store all the possessions and food supplies for the nomadic tribes living in portable tipis. Food and clothing
were never stored in the same parfleche. The cases, created by women, were made by folding, tying, and then painting the lye-soaked, nearly dried hide. Designs were visualized in advance or copied from a completed  parfleche. Designs were measured with cut willow sticks and quickly sketched with a pointed bone or wood stylus, leaving a groove in the moist hide. The colorful abstract patterns painted on the travel cases had both aesthetic and spiritual significance for all the tribe. Care was taken by the Plains Native American women to apply the color thinly, allowing light to reflect off the white hide beneath, resulting in a characteristic translucent appearance.

Inspired by the painted motifs, I painted a series of Parfleches using watercolor. The translucent quality of watercolor gives a similar effect as color applied on hide. My personal iconography in abstract form appears on each composition. The beliefs and meanings in my imagery are as diverse as "those features that define distinct tribal and regional painting styles" GO

I take for granted and therefore depend on a structured world for contentment. My narrow concept of order collides with the natural order which has to have its own way. The natural order is not predictable, reproducible, or boring. When chaos assaults order, beautiful things can happen. My current work is a philosophical representation of those events that disrupt an ordinarily calm and ordered world. Parallel and intersecting vertical and horizontal lines are the structural foundation for this body of work.
The lines, stripes, and grids in my paintings represent order in life, symbolizing strength, stability, and a sense of direction. While creating the grid paintings, shapes within defined parameters emerge into a language - the rational versus the non rational. Random splashes of color, and drips that flow through the perceived calm, represent chaos. Each drip or splatter in the series has its own journey and contributes to disrupting the calm areas in my paintings. Some drips are isolated, while others unite to form a larger statement. The chaos can be interpreted as joyous or tragic events. In either interpretation, the chaos disrupts order. Go

The elephant is a magnificent creature whose life would seem rather dull in captivity. However, in capturing this beast on paper, my intention was to bring excitement to the viewers eyes by incorporating a myriad of color to form the contours that distinguish this mammal from all others. In the series"Elephants", each rendition was accomplished using a wet into wet style. In all instances, the elephant was painted first and in some cases, to completion before putting in the background. The series is comprised of three basic poses, but the compositions, colors and techniques used were varied. Capturing each elephant up close allows the viewer to focus on what I consider the most interesting aspect of the elephant, his ears, eyes and trunk. I chose to eliminate as much background as possible to minimize its impact within the painting and to avoid competition with the elephant. The colors I used may not appear realistic, but they are found in nature and were used in a reflective sense. Go

This is a new body of work for me, using the ancient technique of Encaustic Painting. Encaustic is a process of painting with molten beeswax, damar resin and pigments that are fused to the surface with heat. "Messages", the current series of encaustic work, delves into the language we receive and deliver throughout our lives that make affecting statements. Go

Working with grids is psychologically soothing to me. Vertical and horizontal grids are basic structures that give stability to our everyday life. My motive is to organize space to express an image that challenges the eye. I control my painting by pulling the image, the framework of grids, into a precise order. The colors that flow within the framework soften the images as they move to their own rhythm on the paper. Repetition of basic forms with loose washes of color are used to create movement and tension. Some images can be construed as landscapes, some as still lifes, and others as simple, or complex geometrically constructed forms, all of which express the grid concept. My desire is to pull myself and the viewer into an intimate relationship with marks of color within shapes, causing one to read every line, row, or shape within the grid. Go

People I've seen  Go

Places I've been GO