ARTIST STATEMENT
The source of all things. The beginnings of life. The primal mark.
My work reflects a search for connection with and understanding of life’s great mysteries. I borrow from a cadre of universal visual symbols that reference the ancient world, returning again and again to the simplest of nature's symbols such as the spiral, the circle, and the crescent. I am drawn to the cyclical aspects of these nature-based symbols referencing renewal and regeneration, birth and the cycle of life.
Whether paintings or prints, I choose to work with earth tones, such as ochres, siennas and umbers, the colors of antiquity. The putting down of subtle layers, accented by bold marks, builds up textural surfaces that reach back in time to early mark making, connecting with archetypal symbols from early cultures.
My sources for inspiration come from markings found on pottery shards, figurines, and cave walls in sites throughout the world. I have traveled to many sacred sites seeking connection, understanding and inspiration; Newgrange in Ireland, Knossos in Crete, caves in the south of France and Las Labradas, Mexico.
These ancient inscriptions, artifacts from the Neolithic era, inspire me with their earthiness and connection to the beginning of things. Gaia, Mother Earth, is at the heart of all of these symbols reflecting the spirit of nature that binds us all. As I work the surface of the paper or canvas, and delve into this ancient iconography, I feel an affinity with those who have come before me.