Painting
2025
Materialization and the Alchemy of Becoming
16” x 106”
Acrylic on Panel
In this series of six paintings, I am exploring the process of materialization. Materialization is the gradual transformation of the unseen interior world of imagination, thought, and intention into the physical realm of form, experience, and reality. The Seed of Life is an ancient symbol of creation and potential. Designed with seven interconnected circles, it sits at the base of each panel and is the seed from which all things grow. Each work acts as a snapshot, capturing moments of energy materializing, expanding, transforming—together they depict the transition from the invisible to the visible, the abstract idea to the physical manifestation.
These paintings are meditations on the process of becoming. They invite the viewer to consider their own personal power. It is through sustained attention and devotion to purpose that we can shape and reshape our realities. With this series, I aim to create moments of quiet reflection, where transformation is not an end, but a continuous unfolding.
Expanding Visions of Wholeness and Harmony: A Tribute to Hendrik Christian Andersen
Watercolor and ink on paper, laser cut birch panels
6.5” x 6.5” x 1”
In the 1918 publication, Creation of a World Centre of Communication, Hendrik Christian Andersen and others espoused the idea of creating a World Centre City, with an International Constitution that would unite countries and bring world harmony. Andersen concluded his preface to the book by advocating for this grand, utopian idea “…for the sake of uplifting the immortal spirit of humanity and of furthering its development.”
That final line by Andersen resonates with me. In response to the spirit of his intent, I created Expanding Visions of Wholeness and Harmony: A Tribute to Hendrik Christian Andersen. The ideas for this artist book were first based around the circle, the ancient symbol of unity and wholeness. Considering our collective future, I also wanted to include the spiral, a symbol of growth, evolution, expansion, and the graceful flow of energy. These two symbols came together within the squares of the Fibonacci sequence, depicted in the cover design.
The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where each number is created by the sum of the previous two digits (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13…) When drawn as a series of squares moving counterclockwise, the sequence creates the golden rectangle, which is the framework for the golden spiral. This spiral is seen throughout nature, in the outward growth of shells, sunflowers and galaxies. The paintings in this book follow the numbers of the Fibonacci sequence, as the circles expand page by page. By using the universal symbols of the circle, spiral, and the Fibonacci sequence, this work speaks to Andersen’s message of international unity, harmony, balance, and growth over time and distance.
2023
Emerging from the Unknown, Transforming into the Extraordinary
Watercolor and ink on paper, laser cut birch panels
4” x 6.25” x 1”
“Emerging from the Unknown, Transforming into the Extraordinary” is a handmade book that explores the numbers one through ten. The number one emerges as a single point in space; it expands equally on all sides to create a circle. That simple geometric shape has the capacity to grow and transform into the intricate design we see within the decagon. Throughout the pages of the book, this progression symbolically represents the passage of time, while the increased complexity of the geometric forms parallels our personal evolution over the course of our lives. This book speaks to the potential that exists within each of us.
2021 - 2020
Since 2017 my studio practice has focused on creating large, site-specific installations. In January of 2020, I had just completed my piece “1, 2, 3…” at the Carnegie Art Museum Studio Gallery. We had a lovely opening reception on February 1st, even though concerns of the Coronavirus spreading around the world were lingering in the air. By March 16th, my campus, my husband’s work and my kid’s school sent us all home. We began our transition into teaching, working and learning from home for the next year.
Not being able to make installations during this time, I changed course and created works on Duralar and panel. These paintings continued my exploration of numbers, shapes and patterns, as well as thresholds between different realms/states of existence. They relate to the look and feel of the installation projects, while being discrete objects. These are the six works you see here.
2016 - 2006
In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. –John Muir
Growing up in the woods of Northern Wisconsin, much of my childhood was spent discovering nature. I have a particularly vivid memory of studying the unfurling coils of a fiddlehead fern, and finding the mystery and beauty of this event to be a moving experience. I have always been intrigued by the strange yet familiar aspects of the natural world, and the relationships between these elements and unknown forces that bring them to life.
In my drawings and canvas paintings I seek to reveal the hidden, energetic interactions between flora and the surroundings they inhabit. Abstracted plant life emits ethereal and luminous forms that transcend our notions of natural phenomena. The viewer is often transported into a realm where pure essence radiates from bulbous pods and reaching petals, whispering a private invitation to the moment. It is my hope that the viewer will connect with the intimacy of the event unfolding before their eyes.