Artist Statement
Which comes first—action or meaning? Does meaning follow the action, or does the artist’s way of thinking guide the act itself? The form of my work arrived unexpectedly. I once spilled a bowl of water mixed with graphite onto paper. I watched the particles move, and instinctively touched them with my hand. The particles gathered and dispersed. On the surface of the paper, the combination of my gesture, the graphite and water, and even the humidity of my studio began to create forms as the liquid dried. Before I realized it, I was drawing by softly touching the paper with my hands.
When I draw with my hands, the desire to render something accurately fades, and instead, I follow the instinct to simply reach out and touch the subject. As I do so, one form leads naturally to another, and a new image appears.
I often ask myself: What kind of person am I? What kind of artist? Though I never seem to find a clear answer, I do know this: without others—without the people and environments around me—I cannot exist.
There are times when, as I move through the world, a narrative quietly approaches and settles within me. At other times, I feel a deep urge to gaze upon people living within the flow of nature, or the small wild grasses growing everywhere. When images come to me in the form of a narrative, I create picture books. And when I find myself fully immersed in observing others, I paint.