New work on canvas to be introduced to Texas. And two big shows with pastels. Read more here.

Making Sense of the Natural World

I've been working on my series of mixed media paintings on canvas that I'll be exhibiting at a show for the first time next month. For me it's like learning a new language and being asked to present a speech without understanding the basics of sentence structure. I've been working in pastels for so long, however, that creating a large body of work in a new direction is incredibly freeing and at the same time quite dizzying. What I'm learning is that no matter what medium I work in, the message always has a connection to the natural world. I've been thinking a lot about this - how a species is created, organisms, systems, designs produced by these life sustaining systems. Check out this shell and limestone rock. Notice the intricate circles in both. The shape and form and color and texture...oh my. It's informing the overall flavor of my work. I'm also inspired to draw lines in charcoal mimicking the shapes and symbolizing the idea of systems of creation, birth, life, etc. This is bringing another layer into the realm of painting - delicate lines mingling amidst the paint. This is just so much fun. It's as simple as that.