"I began working in fiber over 20 years ago in the areas of jewelry and art clothing. I loved the fabrication of wearable items whether dyeing , silkscreening, piecing or appliquéing. Embellishing the pieces using thread, beads, wire or non traditional elements was an exciting exploration. It was all hands-on with beautiful colors and wonderful textures. In the last few years this exploration of fiber moved my interest and work almost exclusively to wall and dimensional pieces which provide expanded latitude for design possibilities.
In 2004, two trips to Santa Fe and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum were a catalyst for exploring fiber from a different viewpoint. O'Keeffe's landscape paintings inspired viewing reality through her artistic philosophy: 'Nothing is less real than realism. Details are confusing. It is only by selection, by elimination, by emphasis that we get at the real meaning of things.'
It is not surprising, that currently my work is based on abstractions of real things or abstracts expressing ideas or emotions. I am drawn to the more abstract because it invites the viewer to the dance...to be a partner in constructing the reality of the pieces when seen through their own experiences or emotions.
I like working with silk and frequently make use of silk dupioni in my designs because of its color depth and luster which changes when viewed from different perspectives and lighting. Although I usually use appliqué and layering in the construction process, in the end it is the piece which dictates the type of form I will construct and methods I will use to explore that theme."
