Biography:

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Over the past six years I have been working on a series of small
watercolors of a child at play. In creating this series I was interested in three things. First was to convey the exuberance and sense of freedom which children find in play. As part of recreating these feelings from my own childhood experiences, I also wanted to express the unique physical sensations which each different type of play produces.

Secondly, I was challenged by the idea of producing the works from a child's artistic perspective. I have tried to capture the loose style, expressive brush work and imaginative use of minimal detail and bright colors typical of children's art.

Finally, I wanted to produce strong images of a young, active girl as a counterweight to the images of passive females found in so many fine art and popular images. I vividly recall sitting down to read my daughter a popular children's book which illustrates words only to find that all the active words like "jump" and "throw" were portrayed by male figures and the words associated with sedentary activities were all depicted by female figures. There is still a conscious need to present a more balanced and realistic picture of growing up female.

In addition to this series, like most artists, I also work in other media
and other themes. I have a series of quilted and embroidered male nudes, which strike a delicate balance between sensuousness and humor. In these works a humble, practical, traditionally female occupation confronts a "fine art," traditionally male subject: the nude. I also make natural assemblages of trees, waterfalls, fallen leaves, etc. from acrylic dyed, unprimed canvas. Finally, returning to watercolor again, I focus on the brilliant colors and alluring shapes of vegetables.