The art I make is an expression of and response to the evocative spirit found in the ordinary views of the world around me. It is a fusion of the aesthetic quality of nature, the symbolic meanings associated with the elements of nature and color and our collective and personal connections to the larger world around us. I concentrate on the spiritual associations and sense of wonder and renewal that I feel in quietly viewing the world around me. Each work represents a moment in time: a lesson learned, a piece of life’s puzzle found, the simple view that encapsulates a moment of grace, or that single moment of clarity that allows you to exhale.

My work is experimental, using techniques that include weaving, dying, stitching, collaging and drawing. For many years I have been exploring and using a variation of a Japanese textile form called Shifu. It is textile of woven paper cloth dating back to the mid 1600’s. It is made through a process of folding, cutting and spinning the paper into a thread. During the winter months, when there was little work; farmers used this material, making lightweight summer clothing. The process was also used by monks to recycle scrolls into a usable thread. In keeping with the recycling tradition I use uncut dress pattern paper for my thread. Shapes are woven flat and then stitch together into a variety of forms. I have continued with this exploration of recycling materials that would be otherwise thrown out by using pattern paper and plastic bags as materials for my collage work. By taking these humble materials and combining them with fine silks I continue the visual process of mixing the ordinary in with the extraordinary