I graduated from Rhode Island School of Design, and (RISD) graduate studies at Pratt University in printmaking. At RISD I worked primarily with acrylic, oil, and printmaking. But the collage medium became my passion and has been the main focus of my work as an artist for 56 years. In 1973 I traveled to Minnesota from New York City to work for the conservation of the Timber Wolf but I continued painting. I served as a consultant and designer for the Science Museum of Minnesota to create the”Wolves and Humans” Exhibit, the Educational Workbook, and humanities presentations nationwide. I am a working artist and exhibit in Minnesota and across the United States.
I retired from wildlife work to fully concentrate on painting but the connection between, humans, animals, and wilderness continues to be important to me and are dominant themes included in my visual art. I explore the intricate relationship between humans, wolves, and wilderness as revealed in literature, magic realism, and art. Literature and art have long expressed our complicated and ambivalent relationship with the natural world. I do not attempt to depict nature’s reality but instead create abstract visual landscapes using shapes, colors, forms, and images. I try to discover and express visually the creative inspirational power of the natural world that cannot be portrayed by words alone.
The series Nature Re-envisioned and Reality Transformed was inspired by literary magic realism and nature. Next, I ventured to intensify the Nature series by creating 8 panels that became a single 16-foot landscape painting. I named this collection Unconventional Journey because as each panel came to life this endeavor advanced my journey to create a metaphorical landscape. I am working on a new series that will expand this journey and explore new more powerful techniques for a collage.
I approach the collage medium as a painting not as a mere assembly of images. The painterly quality of my work is dissimilar from the common notions about collage work. Collage is an associative, nonlinear mode of creating. It can tell a story by incorporating shapes and images without being bound by the need to make an illustration.
The Dadaists initially used collage techniques to rebel against established rational art. Surrealists saw collage as a fundamental poetic activity of the unconscious mind. I do not preplan a collage but as I collect materials, I see visual connections. The juxtapositions of images do not need to be logical but engaging. As I arrange the materials, I see the interaction in space and form; colors and shapes intensify. Each added element builds on the previous one or even results in eliminating components. What you remove is as important as what you put into the composition. I am always motivated to find new goals and ways to choreograph shapes, colors, and images.
I represent several northern rural communities where community engagement in the arts is important and less available.
I am also proud to represent two groups; women and powerful older women. Artists like Carmen Herrera were not recognized or appreciated for decades. She sold her first piece at age 89 which led to the recognition that older women were fully formed, mature serious artists. Georgia O’Keefe even with Macular Degeneration painted well into her 90’s. British artist Sue Williamson described the art of older women as “fearless work, borne out of their years of experience, can be extraordinary.” I am determined to continue as one of those fearless women artists. At 78 I am even more inspired to bring my life and art experience to my work.
Living in the north woods of Minnesota is quite different from my hometown of New York City. But I have embraced living in the woods and enjoy kayaking. I stay young and in shape so I can continue to compete with German Shepherds in field tracking and other dog sports.