Artist Statement

My artistic career began at Maryland Institute College of Art where I studied interior design with a concentration in fine arts. I exhibited my work in shows and galleries in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Florida. My creative endeavors over the past twelve years turned to collage, encaustic, shadowbox and assemblage. I hope to imbue my work with a spirit of spontaneity, play, and surprise. The use of color, composition, pattern and design reflects my background in interior design.

As a catalyst for my work, I haunt antique shops and flea markets in search of arcane, vintage objects. A shadowbox may begin with a wooden piece into which I collage found, altered or handmade papers. It might also include screen, tape, paint or three dimensional elements.

Components of my abstract collages often include printed materials, rice papers, and altered papers. To achieve additional depth, texture, and luster I often incorporate encaustic. I find each step creating these pieces: the searching, the collecting, composing and installing, to be exhilarating. I hope the finished work provides as rich a discovery for the viewer as it does for me.