2025

After my solo show in May 2024, I felt the need to put that media,
the vintage recording tape, behind me and challenge myself to find a new direction.
I didn’t know exactly where I’d go, but I brought forth several phrases
I use when talking to other artists and made myself listen to them:
“Take a risk and try it.” “You don’t know where it’ll go; just start.”
“Remember the things you love.” “Stay fluid and flexible.” “Just.Keep.Going.”

I’ve always loved the grid, and handwork is my jam.
There are countless gorgeous shades of brown and beige.
I’m drawn to graphic, scrubbed off, chalk-like, peeled paper scrubby marks.
I want to bring printmaking into my practice. Here’s what happened.

Two ‘Hoods

(As in Two Neighborhoods.) Find the media you love (here it’s black waxed linen, a florist supply) hand woven (on a Melissa and Doug kids loom), lifted off and draped down onto painters drop cloth. It became obvious that the loose gri — *Two ‘Hoods*
(As in Two Neighborhoods.) Find the media you love (here it’s black waxed linen, a florist supply) hand woven (on a Melissa and Doug kids loom), lifted off and draped down onto painters drop cloth. It became obvious that the loose grids got more and more interesting when they were layered on top of each other, and the smaller, denser textures begin to assert themselves.

Maps and Mapping

Cleaning up the studio, folding and neatening up textiles, re-discovering flea
market purchases – these are tried and true methods that spark my process. Burlap: the most basic grid, used to wrap shrubs to protect them from winte — *Maps and Mapping*
Cleaning up the studio, folding and neatening up textiles, re-discovering flea market purchases – these are tried and true methods that spark my process. Burlap: the most basic grid, used to wrap shrubs to protect them from winter weather, used to form feed bags, industrially and loosely woven by the mile; made of jute, hemp, or flax. I always have burlap, in several iterations, in my studio. Handle it and stretch it a bit, prepare a place for it to land, capture it with slow stitching, and wait to see what evolves. That large orange rectangle? That’s Central Park. Obviously.

Thin Ice

Because if you’ve stitched light strands on to a dark grid, you have to follow it with dark strands on a light grid. And where so many of us find ourselves, on ‘Thin Ice’. Insecure housing, a chronic or a catastrophic health event, an — *Thin Ice*
Because if you’ve stitched light strands on to a dark grid, you have to follow it with dark strands on a light grid. And where so many of us find ourselves, on ‘Thin Ice’. Insecure housing, a chronic or a catastrophic health event, an unexpected career bump, a habit flirting with addiction, a child struggling to separate, a budget that doesn’t balance. ‘Thin Ice’ is a risky place to be.

Printed Matter

Printing with my netting and grids has been on my mind for a while now. It’s a messy process: dipping the nets into paint, wringing it out, dropping it onto different surfaces, sometimes attaching it to swimming pool noodles, usin — *Printed Matter*
Printing with my netting and grids has been on my mind for a while now. It’s a messy process: dipping the nets into paint, wringing it out, dropping it onto different surfaces, sometimes attaching it to swimming pool noodles, using it once (or, using it ten times), making printing ‘blocks’ and inking them with cardboard tubes. It goes on and on. And then, capturing the residue left on the stretched plastic tarp that’s protecting the floor. In the end I realized I was creating media to use in several projects going forward. All mono-prints, none reproduceable, each with its own spontaneous characteristics. More to come.

Stitched Winter

After the eye watering mess of printing (albeit successful) I settled in to the short,
dark days of winter, using small, neat, meditative stitching. Dots and dashes, my
cherished language of ‘one-at-a-time, take your time, let it — *Stitched Winter*
After the eye watering mess of printing (albeit successful) I settled in to the short, dark days of winter, using small, neat, meditative stitching. Dots and dashes, my cherished language of ‘one-at-a-time, take your time, let it unroll, make what you want to see.’

They Moved to England

It takes a long time to make an old friend, and you can’t get one when you’re much older. Not too many people in my life now, knew me before I was married, before I had a child, when I was trying out careers, when I fell as — *They Moved to England*
It takes a long time to make an old friend, and you can’t get one when you’re much older. Not too many people in my life now, knew me before I was married, before I had a child, when I was trying out careers, when I fell asleep with make-up on, and when I wore a size four. She did and now she’s moved to England. She and her husband could not tolerate our political situation any longer and They Moved to England. I miss her and wonder if I’ll ever see her again.

But, why?

More printed media; more breaking the grid; more chocolate brown, beige, taupe, and tea-stained linen. More and more questions: Why can’t people find compassion? Why have so many gotten so narrow minded? Why aren’t the smartest docto — *But, why?*
More printed media; more breaking the grid; more chocolate brown, beige, taupe, and tea-stained linen. More and more questions: Why can’t people find compassion? Why have so many gotten so narrow minded? Why aren’t the smartest doctors and scientists respected anymore? Why don’t my phone and laptop synch after an update? Why do we treat the end of our pets lives better than our parents? Why do we still have the electoral college? Why can’t I get that Cheesy topping at Trader Joe’s any more?

Shelter25

I want to make more sculpture. Also: I don’t like waste or a crowded studio or enshrining work that’s past its best time. This was originally a two-dimensional piece and it no longer needed to be. I snipped it off its stretcher and f — *Shelter25*
I want to make more sculpture. Also: I don’t like waste or a crowded studio or enshrining work that’s past its best time. This was originally a two-dimensional piece and it no longer needed to be. I snipped it off its stretcher and free formed it with the help of a garden tomato cage. I knew I loved the shellacked cotton strips, and I knew I could stitch it together. I also knew there was a lamp base that would work perfectly. I was right. Shelter25: holds space, light, air, safety, shelter, and hope.

Four Squared

Maybe the culmination of a winter of work? Maybe the introduction of red? (Or the end of that bolt of fabric?) Maybe remembering that I really liked the tightly woven mat that same size, same stained cotton formed? (Especially whe — *Four Squared*
Maybe the culmination of a winter of work? Maybe the introduction of red? (Or the end of that bolt of fabric?) Maybe remembering that I really liked the tightly woven mat that same size, same stained cotton formed? (Especially when randomly stitched down with that same color silk?) Maybe liking that 20” square and, later, realizing that four of them could be arranged several different ways? (Fun with art and trusting a curator?!) Definitely keeping the printmaking there.