Artist Statement

I began weaving in the mid-1990s, but created my first artwork from cutting, piecing, and quilting my hand-woven textiles in 2006. This is a time and labor intensive process that combines all that I love doing—reflecting, visualizing, designing, assembling, weaving, sewing, embellishing… My work is diversely influenced by weaving traditions such as the Kente cloth by the Ashanti of West Africa and the Mayan textiles of the Americas along with later American artists Anni Albers and Faith Ringgold. My quilted weavings are my interpretations of the lingual into visual imagery. One theme of my art ("Say What" series) has been in response to quotes from my grandchildren with multiple implications for the viewer, such as metaphor or pun. Each work holds layers of labor, challenge, memory, and satisfaction for me. I have begun my "Beyond Words" series with several works portraying quiet reflections on the truths of Scripture. My "Feet of Clay" series of three-dimensional vessels are formed with my pieced handwoven textiles and sewing them to terracotta clay "feet." I began visualizing these vessels from a sentence in Brennan Manning's book Abba's Child. After sharing a personal narrative of a friend, Manning described the experience as "an earthen vessel with feet of clay laid hold of his belovedness." My desire is to create obviously flawed, yet highly treasured objects. I am also exploring double weave and whole cloth processes that may suggest some of the glorious paradoxes of the Christian faith.

I welcome inquires about purchasing my art. I accept commissions. Clients may provide quotes, concepts, or titles and I will create an intricate, visual interpretation with my hand-woven, pieced two- or three-dimensional fiber art.