ARTIST STATEMENT : PHOTOGRAPHY + ENCAUSTIC
I am an artist working primarily with photography and encaustic beeswax. When I take photographs, I view it as gathering brushstrokes for a painting, and each of my paintings is composed of multiple photographic images.
I am especially interested in the elasticity of light dancing around reflection, shadow, and motion. Capturing light is sometimes ethereal and sometimes edgy. It is intriguing how the camera lens “sees” differently than the eye. My photographs are inherently abstract and my imagery is inspired by nature.
My intention when designing my paintings is to convey the essence of calm, rejuvenation, and joy. I am drawn to allover pattern, repetitive elements, and symmetrical balance, all of which quiet my mind and refresh my soul.
Within each painting, every photograph is saturated with encaustic medium. This creates soft imagery with a luminous glow, subtle texture, and aromatic scent of beeswax. The photographs are tiled together in groupings or within a frame, and the visual appearance is a blend of photography and painting.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY : INTROSPECTIVE + RETROSPECTIVE
My fascination with the elasticity of light began when I practiced darkroom photography in the late 1990’s. I used my father’s manual single lens reflex camera, which he purchased secondhand in 1969, and I processed the film and developed the prints in the darkroom. I enjoyed the interaction of light, aperture, and shutter speed, and desired a way to create imagery that was inherently abstract with minimal manipulation.
A light bulb moment occurred when I was dressing for an evening out and dropped my handheld mirror, which shattered on the ground. As I bent to pick up the pieces, I saw my reflection in the broken shards, an eyeball here, an eyeball there, another eyeball there…. Fortunately, a stroke of good luck ensued, and I began to explore ways to photograph through broken mirror.
My exploration of the elasticity of light continues to this day, focusing on reflective surfaces, shadow play, and intentional camera movement. Effects are similar to double exposures, colorful filters, or strokes of paint, and when the wax hits the surface it saturates the color and gives that irresistible glow.
GALLERY REPRESENTATION
My artwork is represented by the following galleries: Lucy Clark Gallery, Penland Gallery, Bascom Gallery Shop, and Southern Highland Craft Guild. Additionally, work may be on exhibit in another gallery, museum, or venue.
Please feel welcome to contact me regarding artwork availability and I will be happy to connect you with the representing gallery. I am also available for commissions, custom work, and interior design projects. For news on classes, collections, exhibitions and events, please join my newsletter.
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