GOLD LEAF

I began exploring the use of metal leaf and gold leaf as an additional element as I created mixed media pieces. What I have discovered is that gold leaf adds another quality to my pieces — almost a feeling of light that changes during the course of a day. At times, if there is strong light on the painting, the gold gives the impression of sunlight, making the negative space a dynamic part of the piece. As the light on the piece dims, the positive image stands out more. The result is a painting that shifts with the light. My awareness of the importance of the composition has been heightened y the dynamic quality the gold gives the negative space.

MIXED MEDIA

Keys frequently show up in my paintings. I began collecting old keys years ago, loving the different look and feel of each one. Then I started having dreams of keys. Keys are symbols to me of opposite — things we lock away, things we treasure, things we hide, and things we are seeking. Other elements I often include are twigs, sticks, thread, items that add a third dimension to an otherwise two-dimensional work of art.

OBJET D’ART

In India’s ancient Vedic literature there is a term for a system of knowledge called ‘Sutras’. These ancient writings constitute the basic foundational texts for yoga. In Vedic traditional, Yoga means ‘union’, and Sutra means ‘stitch’ or ‘thread’. The purpose of these teachings was to create unity by stitching together the experiences of expanded states of consciousness to the daily experience of life. This series was inspired by my fascination of sewing machine drawers., Appalachian sewing traditions and ancient Vedic teachings. Each box is an expression of one of the ancient Vedic yoga sutras.

Throughout my life as an artist, I have increasingly found that the deeper I look into all of the fabrics and threads of life and creation, the more I find that those things which may appear to be dramatically opposed to each other on the surface are often firmly and artistically connected at their very essence.