ALTERED PHOTOGRAPHS
Bryce Canyon Hoodoos
16x20
These three works began with a photograph taken by fellow artist Andrea Canter which I have altered. They contain hand painted papers, natural dyed and printed fabrics, stitch work, and a little bit of beeswax.
Muir Woods Sequoia
12x24
Banning State Park Birch
20x23
Ventura Highway
12x24
This mixed media piece began with an old road map found along a rural country road in Minnesota. Seeking a way to repurpose this gift led to the pondering of road trips, especially those without an agenda. When sound waves from an old and familiar song, “Ventura Highway”, by the band America, danced through the air, the work was born. The lyrics of the song evoke fond memories of warm summer days and the promise of adventure. Vintage 1960s and 70s photos from Ventura and its coastline, the image of an old 45rpm record, handmade boho beads, the color of denim and the classic fabric daisy unite in an way that gives “Ventura Highway” a southern California ocean vibe that still resonates in that community today.
In the 1800s a woman named Natalie Curtis devoted her life's work to traveling the country, which was not an easy feat for a woman or logistically, to gather the music of the native American people. By the time she did this most tribes had been forced into encampments, many were reluctant to trust her with such a sacred thing as their music. Today, people disagree with the ethnographic study approach to cultures that have been violently destroyed for political and social gain. I am grateful, however, that Curtis devoted herself to collecting the music of their culture that would have otherwise been largely lost. This mixed media work contains a copy of "Song to the Earth Maker" from the Winnebago tribe, who once dominated the entire western shore of Lake Michigan. I have used the sheet music to construct the trees. I did not create this work to pique the curiosity of others, but instead to celebrate that it exists for subsequent generations of the Winnebago people so they can connect to their roots, their own unique history.
Song to the Earth Maker
12x12
Heart’s Religion
30x30 tiles wrap around the edges
This art journey began at the outer edge. The methodical lines of hand formed clay, softened by design and hues of earth and sky, gave way willingly to the middle ground of rugged texture. Then, without warning it came to a halt at the perimeter of the inner sanctum, untouchable, though not for want. I waited and listened for unseen creative forces, until the object was found and delivered itself to the center of the canvas. I absorbed the Celtic Highlanders history, foraged for worn chains and charms, gathered glass beads and fibers. Using the ways of our ancestors, I filled the sacred space with gifts of garland, natural dyed cotton, and knotted hemp. Molding, weaving, fastening, singing, I too heard the echo of the heart’s religion.
This work was completed while residing one mile north of the Tijuana, Mexico border on the California, Pacific coast. The Tijuana river flows here. It meanders through the estuary and empties into the ocean. One day while on my walk along the beach to the border, I encountered large gatherings of fruit here and there, among them tangerines. This was of course one of the more pleasant sightings littering the beach and water there and not likely to cause harm. An offering from a soul in Tijuana. I imagined how Salacia, Goddess of the Ocean, sickened by the daily sewage dumps, felt about yet another unwanted gift. I hope her anger comes through in the burnt undertones and deep grooves of texture.
There is an ongoing environmental war between our countries.
Salacia (Goddess of the Ocean)
20x20 tiles and texture wrap around edges