After a long illness, I emerged from a profound and beautiful near-death experience at age 17. I began a search for the medium that would best express this experience. It has taken the better part of 37 years to find it. I have worked in many mediums over the years, but in 2003 discovered the vivid, high-intensity colors of dye and its organic softness best translate the qualities of this "realm of light." I often combine the softness of the bleeding dyes with the sharp edges of collage to give the sense of multiple dimensions. These pieces represent journeys of the soul, of the light within, as well as multi-dimensional landscapes.

I was drawn to the writings of the Sufi mystic, Hazrat Inayat Khan. He describes light as being synonymous with music- each note (and each soul) represents a ray that is a part of the cosmic “symphony” that is the divine source itself. He speaks of the journey of the soul as a desire to return from the material world back to the source. Souls traverse back and forth in a dance of incarnations, exchanging information as they pass through the Jinn realm, (the place of the mind without the restraints of the physical.) Before becoming one with the source on their return, they also move through the Angelic realm, where even thoughts are released to innocence. The process of manifestation then can begin anew.

I discovered that it is possible to experience a rebirth of the spirit after hearing this divine symphony. It is my wish that the viewer will absorb some of this “celestial” music through these pieces.

I also think of art as a means of healing both people and the earth. Art is the translator between the literal, cognitive world of the human mind, and the intuitive world of the spirit. It calls us to connect with that which nurtures us. In this sense, my work could be considered "tribal." My pieces are about aliveness, the sacredness of nature, and the song of the spirit. They are intended to call us back to a place of harmony.

3-DIMENSIONAL WORK -

Working in clay has a grounding effect and keeps me in touch, literally, with the earth. I have always liked the feeling that fired clay pieces will be around for a long time and somehow translate a bit of their own "creation stories" many years hence. There is something truly satisfying in creating a useful (and beautiful) object that holds sustenance in some way for those who use it. A teapot, a bowl or a mask can become a beautiful vessel to transport the desire of the maker into the future.

Assemblage pieces from found objects and driftwood are like amusing puzzles. Taking the discarded, the lake-washed flotsam and making strange new beings is pure fun. Often I "see" something like a strange face or figure in the gnarled wood, and that determines what sort of creature will emerge. It also satisfies in me a longing to resurrect that which has been thrown away, into some new "life form."

POETRY WORKS -

Visit the "POETRY PAGE" for a sampling...