Curiosity and discovery best describe my work in mixed media. As an acrylic painter, I was curious as to how I could bring different things media into a painting, but not knowing how. And then I was introduced to mixed media! I no longer felt the need to follow painting “rules”. I started with collage and began to collect papers I thought were interesting…printed papers, vintage texts, tissue, etc. As I played with these, I began to wonder what else I could include in my works. My studio is now full of anything and everything I find interesting, including acrylics, watercolors, alcohol inks, acrylic inks, all types of papers, broken pieces of pottery, fabrics, ribbons, cardboard, yarns, packaging, a variety of embellishments, PanPastels…and so much more!

Mixed media allows me to experiment with a multitude of materials, which in turn forces me to think more creatively and to rely more on my imagination. Sometimes when I start a piece, I have an idea of what I want the end result to look like….and sometimes I don’t. I like to work from photos that I have taken and/or things and places I am familiar with. As I continue to add elements to a piece, I am always discovering new interactions between those elements as well as new directions for the piece.

Just as mixed media is a source of curiosity and discovery for me, I want each piece to be a source of curiosity and discovery for the people looking at it. I want them to wonder how sections were done, what was used to create parts, and to find “hidden” elements in the different layers. I am always excited to explain how I do things to others and to answer their questions and help them discover a new way to experience art.