“The lines and marks I make — whether sewn, scribbled, or scratched are my visual language for traversing the times in life we connect and the times we withdraw.”
Have you ever turned over a muddy rock and found life and decay teeming below? For me, what lies beneath is more interesting than what is on the surface. I allude to that turning-over-the-rock sense of discovery and shelter in my work by alternating the stripping of layers with covering up and editing. The lines and marks I make — whether sewn, scribbled, or scratched — are my visual language for traversing the times in life we connect and the times we withdraw. I explore the raw yet often poignant moments when our understories are laid bare. While revealing the active undercurrent of grief and gratitude in our lives, I am reminded to take care when exposing tender places throughout the process.
Examples of My Work
Upside Down Stamps
I was told they mean I love you. I don’t know if it’s TRUE, but it’s true for me. I mail most things with an upside-down stamp, except taxes. They get the leftover holiday stamps.
Things I could be a spokesperson for
Succulents in whiskey barrels, postcard correspondence, a well-placed thank you, kids coloring on their stomachs, wearing your hair curly, the game “run, jump, hug”.
Turtles
Growing up, my favorite animal was the turtle. I was called a turtle because I carried everything in my backpack. I took copious notes. I was prepared. I didn’t want to miss anything. As I age, I am learning not to carry all of my literal and metaphorical stuff around.
Gangster Name
I am an epic spiller. When the movie “Dick Tracy” released, my dad gave me and my four sisters gangster names and mine was SPILLS. My middle child, Margaret, is “spills junior.”
Mix Tapes
I feel something was lost when the mix-tape went away — listening to the whole thing without skipping over a song, learning about the person who made it for you, anticipating the transition from one song to the next. Making or receiving a mix tape is a love language. I still make a seasonal mix. David Bowie, Elton John, and Brandi Carlile are regular features.