A Papermaker’s Journey
My creative journey has taken many twists and turns over the years. While living in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains I studied basketry, weaving, spinning, animal husbandry, gardening and botanical wool dying. This was the beginning of stepping onto the road to self-discovery through the art of making. Living in France, I designed and created custom clothing for friends. Early years studying interior design set the stage for my imagination in 3D. In 1988 I returned to academia and studied three-dimensional fiber sculpture. I began making handmade paper with kozo fiber when my son with young. Making paper using a traditional Japanese technique seemed to bring me full circle with everything I had done previously. Living in a rural coastal town in northern California for 27 years gave me the support of village life where I raised my son and pursued my art career.
And so, papermaking has been the thread of my creative process all these years. I’ve used paper with armatures made of rattan to create sculptural lighting, site-specific installations and minimalism sculpture inspired by Asian aesthetics and philosophy, mother natures installations and seasonal changes. I’ve also carved stone and worked with raku fired ceramics.
My sculptures are theme oriented that embody process and reflections on life and the human condition. After moving to the desert I returned to the coast every summer to escape the hot arid climate. Like a homing pigeon, I migrated from the desert to the sea every year. The first series living in the desert was called “Wind & Thorns”, my response to spring wind and cactus. My work became even more minimalist and spare in response to the great expanse of nothingness the desert offers. The second series was called “Sea & Sand”, about my migration. I explored the artist book idea using mono prints made from plants and sumi ink collected in the desert and at the coast. Then the work became insular, as if I needed protection, and started making nests and cocoons. The “Broken Eggs” series appeared; reflections on grief, loss and renewal. The “Currents” and “Journey" series are recurring themes after returning from the coast and are reflections on life, death and everything in-between. I recently created the “Chrysalis Series” which is about transformation and rebirth. Also during the years in the “Abiquiu Outback” I wrote haiku as a means of using focused words to gain appreciation of living in the desert. My book “Solitude” was published in 2018, the year I sold my live/work studio and moved to a tree lined property near the Santa Fe River, previously owned by a Japanese weaver.
After a month long residency in California at the Cascade Canyon Artist Residency last summer, I began working on a new series about waterfalls; again the theme of currents, flow and movement became the focus. What was new about the work after the residency was how I touched on sense of place from within. The residency was located where my art career began in the 70’s. I came full circle (again) meeting myself on the streets and shops of my past. The “Roots” series emerged. What was great about the residency was that I had time to step aside from my usual way of working with mulberry fiber. It’s been totally freeing and exciting to tease the cooked fiber into shape. Ethereal in nature, the mulberry sculptures speak to vulnerability and resilience.
About 8 years ago I began incorporating flax fiber into my work. I use roving to create textured paper that can be cast or applied to a form. I learned this technique in the 90’s but I was so in love with Kozo that it wasn’t until harsh cold high desert winters limited my outdoor papermaking process opening a doorway that introduces new materials into my art practice.
I’m deeply grateful for the life journey my work has taken me. The work continues to evolve, and I feel fortunate to have the courage to look inside to see what wants to be revealed.
I’m a member of IAPMA, International Association of Papermakers and Paper Artists, American Craft Council, North American Hand Papermakers and the NM Committee for Women in the Arts. This year my studio is open for in-person as well as online workshops.
