Artist Statement
My mixed media paintings on paper combine still lifes and landscapes in watercolor, egg tempera and pencil with paper collage and gold and other metallic leaf. I am influenced by 19th century English and American botanical studies, the small works of Manet, Morandi, and early Spanish still life painters. Japanese art, Chinese landscape painting, and Persian miniatures are also a source of inspiration to me as is the color and texture of paper itself. I like to juxtapose the surfaces and luminances of the various media and to combine the “real” with the abstract. From my early work in sculpture I have maintained my awareness of “portraying” an object in space, and I make much use of the whiteness of the paper on which I work. In 2007 I renewed my interest in photography and printmaking and have been using fragments of my photographs, monoprints and collagraphs in my work. I also have a keen interest in science which gives me a curiosity about seeing the insides of things as well as an attentiveness to detail. I seek to combine all these elements in order to change the way a still life or landscape is experienced and to create a sense of unity and peace.