Art

I've been making art for a long time. I made my first book in pre-school -- it had fabric pages, and my mom sewed the spine for me. In grade school, I took a series of watercolor classes from a local artist, and thus began my love affair with water media. By the time I got to college, I'd switched to acrylic and inks, but frustrated my teachers by watering down my acrylic paints to watercolor consistency. I never did like working with oils, but I loved the texture of the impasto surface. I pursued texture in mixed media collage, then leapt out of 2-D entirely into assemblage and book binding, then into fiber arts, to complete the circle back to where I'd started.

I'm still all over the map, as far as interests go, but I try to focus what I create into three categories...

Works on Canvas

My paintings are identifiable by their rich depth of color. I mine my journals for subject matter, and attempt to capture emotions and abstract thought in color, image and symbolism. Media includes found objects, beads, textile techniques, acrylic paints, pastels, ink and wax. More and more I'm including imagery from my own photographs.

I generally work small, with the largest dimension under 20".

Art Books

My books are hand-bound, with blank interior pages cut from watercolor paper, cardstock or bristol sheets. They range in size from 10x10" to miniature 3x3". I recently have been working in two styles: exposed spine bindings with hard covers (either coptic stitch or decorative stitches over tapes), or sewn into recycled covers from old hardcover books. Covers may be painted or collaged or contain windows with miniature collages or beaded panels.

Glass Beads

I make bracelets and necklaces from glass beads and semi-precious stones. I'm interested in making my jewelry accessible even to people who don't often wear adornments. I create designs that can be dressed up or down, and use quality beads with secure stitches for durable wear. I also choose clasps that allow the wearer to fasten and unfasten the item by themselves. Pieces with lampworked beads are collaborations with my wife (LisaBeads).

The tiny spirit dolls are decorated with intricate bead embroidery on a base of felt or Ultrasuede. They are small (2" long without fringe) and designed to be carried in a pocket or worn on a cord close to your heart. Each represents a wish for healing, guidance, strength or creativity.