Nature, memory, the human body, and the creative materials I use to influence my work connect the viewer to a narrative that stems from personal exploration. The work focuses on womanhood and reflects the many layers of the identities of the mother and artist experience. It explores how those identities are intertwined, continuous, sometimes parallel, and often driven toward wholeness without a clear understanding of the end state.
As my children have entered adulthood, there is time for contemplating early memories of motherhood. It was a time in my family demanding immediate action to preserve my authenticity as both an artist and mother. At the same time, I continue to engage with my children while they gradually make more decisions for themselves and begin to claim their independence without the need for my continuous involvement. These recollections and experiences are expressed in a narrative through the use of the figure.
The process begins with sketching from photographs of myself with my infant children or photographing my current self 25 years later for reference. From there, I work to get into a flow state by using intuition and conscious decision-making that will serve my intention for the narrative. Included in the works are personal symbols from nature that have been essential for states of rest and meditation. Deliberately using materials that are transparent to depict the body, I am showing how the space around and behind the figure alters the inside parts of the body to emphasize that our environment affects our physical and emotional states. Some of the processes act as a metaphor for protection and love.
The delicacy of the medium connects me to the fragility of the memory or story conveyed. I intend to portray the mother artist's body honestly and vulnerably.