As a student of art history, I am intrigued by the path that art has taken through time, from the earliest cave paintings, through all the iterations of art, to the present and the connection to my work. I find intriguing the mindset of the endless parade of artists through history. I suspect most artists have made a mark on a cave wall, block of stone, clay tablet, papyrus or a sheet of paper or canvas, then taken a step back, wondering why they make art—as I do. Perhaps the ancient cave artist guiltily thought that they should be hunting instead of painting, with no other rational forthcoming other than they paint because it feels right. I can imagine an Assyrian artist worrying about how people will judge his work? Did the dark ages monk who spent his life creating a single illuminated manuscript wonder what the hell he was doing (being a goatherd he might have had better food)? Parades of artist through time felt that making art is as good an activity as anything else—it’s something to do and it feels right. I subscribe to this philosophy, that making art is something good to do with the time I have. Art making gives me a reason to exist even though I find my artists existential life is hard to shove into a concrete definition. In any event, I make mixed media pieces using antique old paper and other elements that were touched over time by numerous artists. At the risk of being imperious, I like to think that using reclaimed paper and discarded artifacts is a kind of salvation for the artistic spirit of past creative souls who are on the brink of erasure. Sometimes the items I use in my work are over one hundred years old. It is especially in these items that I keenly feel a connection to the past. When I glue a piece of reclaimed paper from an old book on a wood panel, I feel a kinship with the persons who wrote, designed, bound, and illustrated that book, indeed even the people who wrote grocery lists and love letters in the margins of the pages. I find the link between that piece of paper and the ancient artist life, work and humanity, absolute.
History repeats itself, not only in monumental sweeps, but in the tiny events of the lives of long dead artists—who were just ordinary people: annoyed their coffee was cold, worrying about their sick dog, paying their gas bill, finding food, running out of paint, but were still able to stay the course with their work, inevitably aware that one day, they and their work will disappear—as I am reminded in my own work. My art is a nod to both the deconstruction and the salvation of everyday artistic artifacts (or memory). Everything eventually turns into dust. My work delays the demise of these reclaimed artifacts, and I’ve not lost the irony that my art and body will eventually reach an end. The work prolongs the inevitable end of one’s memory, it’s cold comfort, but still a comfort I enjoy.
Want a different size? Consider commissioning a work.
48 x 48 inch
MIxed media on wood panel
24 x 24 inch
Mixed media on wood panel
48 x 48”
Encaustic, cardboard on wood panel
24” x 24”
Mixed Media on wood panel
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24 x 40 in
Mixed media on wood panel
24 x 48 in
Mixed media on wood panel
24” x 48”
Mixed media on wood panel
48’ x 48”Mixed Media on Wood Panel
Want a different size? Consider commissioning a work.
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A monk asked Zhaozhou, “Does a dog have the Buddha nature or not?” Zhaozhou said, “MU!”
dog... the Buddha nature... He fully expresses the correct imperative. As soon as you step into being and nothingness, You lose your body and your life.
24” x 24”
Mixed media on wood panel
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Acrylic, rice paper, reclaimed book covers on wood panel
48” x 58”
Want a different size? Consider commissioning a work.
24” x 24”
Mixed Media on wood panel
24” x 24”
Mixed media on wood panel
Sold
Sorry it’s sold, but If you like this piece let me make you a similar work. Contact me!
48” x 48”
Encaustic, oil stick, metal flowers, chalk pastel on wood panel
2018
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24” x 24”
Mixed media on wood panel
7" x 14"
Altered book, plant
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Altered book
6" x 9"
7" x 9"
Altered book
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7" x 9"
Altered book
48” x 48”
Mixed media on wood panel
Altered book
7" x 9"
Contact artist to purchase
24" x 48"
Reclaimed antique paper, acrylic, chalk pastel on wood panel
Sold
24” x 24”
Encaustic, oil stick, book, chalk pastel on wood panel
2018
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48” x 48”
Mixed media on wood panel
Sold
Sorry it’s sold, but If you like this piece let me make you a similar work. Contact me!
24” x 24”
Mixed media on wood panel
24” x 48”
Rice paper, acrylic, cut paper on wood panel
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Sorry it’s sold, but If you like this piece let me make you a similar work. Contact me!
24" x 24"
Collage on reclaimed antique paper, acrylic on wood panel
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Sorry it’s sold, but If you like this piece let me make you a similar work. Contact me!
24" x 24"
Collage on reclaimed antique paper, acrylic on wood panel
24" x 24"
Collage on reclaimed antique paper, acrylic on wood panel
SOLD
Sorry it’s sold, but If you like this piece let me make you a similar work. Contact me!
48” x 48”
Mixed media on wood panel
Sold
48” x 48”
Mixed Media on wood panel
Sold