Texture is something that has always fascinated me, and I find that natural textiles - like linen, cotton, silk organza, and even cheesecloth - create incredibly compelling artworks when layered and stitched with thread. Combining these simple materials with paint and dye, I can play with the effects of transparency, line, luminosity and opacity to create an endless array of imagery.
Subject matter is another important part of my process. I might be drawn to a weathered face for the unspoken story behind their fascinating facial lines or to a public figure I admire. And occasionally my subjects are the four-legged or winged variety because the texture in their coats and feathers is irresistible.
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News and updates
Walking with Jane is my portrait of Jane Jacobs, to be exhibited this summer in the Current Threads exhibition with works by other Surface Design Association members in the British Columbia and Yukon region. This travelling exhibit will be on display first at the main gallery in the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan BC (July) and will then travel in its entirety to the Il Museo Gallery in the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver, BC (Aug-Oct). So start making travel plans now to see this outstanding exhibit, designed to inspire conversations and new directions while raising the visibility of fibre and textile media.
A second exhibition, Small Wonders, will be running at the same time at the Cowichan Community Centre, and my portrait of Aubrey Beardsley (28 × 14 in.) will be available for $300.
Teaching
I have been busy settling into my new home in Victoria, and have now completed all my teaching commitments for 2025, so never say never, but I may have just taught my last workshop and am fully embracing the concept of retirement, where I can enjoy my time creating art and spending time with my adult children and grandkids.
Lecture
On-Demand Workshops
Process
My early works were portraits, not only because facial expressions hold endless fascination for me, but because cheesecloth can be sculpted to portray the impact of light and shadow and overlaid on painted textiles with dramatic results. And then over time, I discovered that many other subjects also lend themselves to an interpretation with these textiles to create artworks filled with texture.
Creating art with such a delicate medium does take time - it takes about a month to complete one, from initial sketch through decisions about composition, sculpting, painting, stitching - but I find the process very contemplative and enjoyable. Often while working, I listen to audiobooks about, or read by, the subject I am sculpting, which makes the process all the more intimate.