New Mixed Media

Other Galleries
Abstract · Collaborative Works · Commissioned · Egg Series· Figurative · Floral
Landscape Leaf Series · New Mixed Media · Production Line · Quilt Series
Slab Construction

Select the work to enlarge, use your arrow keys to advance

Enlarge View

Eons Ago

This panel makes a statement about rock formations and evokes intriguing questions about origins. The grouted tiles are finished with a variety of stains and are fired to look like ancient rock formations. These rough, abstractly patterned tiles suggest an unknown force responsible for their shaping---be it wind, water, or other long-term erosion. The somewhat repetitive pattern implies a divine intelligence that some might argue is in fact the case!

The unrefined, blackened pots on the shelf reference some of the earliest pottery “formations” made by humankind. While their smooth surface contrasts with the roughness of the blocks, they both possess a primitive quality and connect the viewer to the basic creative forces operating in these clay forms. The eggs are cradled in the pinch pots like nests, but one can also find eggs nestled in rock formations in nature. The obvious question of “which came first” relates to the current idea that our minds developed from creating things and not necessarily that we developed intelligence first, and then fashioned pots and tools.

Pinch pots often represent an individual’s initial exposure to clay. My first pinch piece is actually included in one of the later panels. Its thin walls and symmetrical shape foretell my inability to distance myself from the skills involved in making art. The meticulous glazing appears prophetic. My earliest formation---in terms of an individual lifetime---seems eons ago. Thousands of pots and other types of work have passed through my hands since that tiny pot.

Enlarge View

Picket (pik’et) 5. To enclose within a picket fence as for protection, imprisonment, etc.

This panel addresses one of the most important responsibilities of a mother: the protection of her child. The title implies that the fence provides a barrier to keep out any harmful elements. As the leaves suggest, raising a child in the country protects the child from dangers of the city, but the motif of covering the eyes also reveals that the child requires protection from dangers closer at hand.

The swarming birds demonstrate that even in such a natural environment, other predators are present. A flock of birds will fly furiously around their young if they sense a nearby danger. Additionally, the leaves which cover the eyes of the face demonstrate another way of shielding a child, in the same way that a mother cups her hands overa child's eyes in the movie theater to block the view of a frightening image on the screen.

The sculpture on the shelf reveals the mother bird and the baby bird under a tree that has a snake wrapped around it as well as the shadow of a man. Although their journey will be fraught with obvious danger, the mother bird proceeds with a joyful chirp, pretending that all is well. The baby bird is oblivious and sees no danger ahead.

Enlarge View

Walk a Mile in My Shoes

This autobiographical shadow box represents a long chapter in my life that revolved around the Elements and Mother Nature and around my years as a mother. The pottery shards and other parts are highly personal, and one might only make sense of it by knowing my story, which I will relate not so much in words but rather in images and souvenirs. Many artists make art to reveal life experiences in a nonverbal way. This piece has elements of a three-dimensional scrapbook, perhaps a little too perfectly arranged, but again I never seem to be able to escape my own style! Creating order in the shadow box is a way of controlling what at times is a somewhat chaotic life.

Certain images reveal a deep appreciation for the material of clay and its unique plastic property of being formed by outside forces, be it natural forces or creative human forces. Other images reveal an early childhood and home life similarly influenced not only by the parents of a child but also by external forces. Each element in a childhood is part of the puzzle that transforms a child into an adult.

The head casting is my own child's face. This figurative element demonstrates how my daughter remains a powerful presence in my life even though she has moved away and is living her own highly successful life, represented by the “gold” necklace around her neck. This box contains not only my first pinch pot but also my daughter’s.

Enlarge View

Ex-Box Game: Navigating Rough Terrain

This panel is composed of clay tiles made of protruding parts that recall intimate parts of the human body, but without the sensuality, infused instead with rough, rather unpleasant textures. This uninviting landscape relates to the difficulty of navigating relationships that involve sex. The blocks are reminiscent of a game board with alternating colors where games pieces are moved around.

The image of the shower curtain separates the viewer from this narrative but offers a view into a shower stall covered with rough clay tiles rather than smooth clean tiles. This motif also references water, often a symbol of sexual emotion. More significantly, the curtain is rife with other possible interpretations: separation, boundaries, and the capacity to obfuscate. The stains on the clear curtain suggest blood spatter, and the coat hanger suggests the difficult choice of abortion. The staples look like stitches, and the entire scene seems a bit psycho.

The woman on the top shelf displays a sense of openness yet she struggles via the antennae to read the vibes from the man, as if she is attempting to read his mind. On the other hand, he boxes himself in and withdraws. He is contained, separated, even walled off, and one only gets glimpses of him through the tiny windows of the box construction. The woman’s wire cage symbolizes her greater openness but also reveals that she maintains a protective personal space around her. He is the object of her attention, but he is stubbornly his own person, and she may only see what she wants to see in him. Hence, one wonders if and how they can ever connect.

Enlarge View

Going Nowhere Fast

This panel bridges the two lengthy career lives that I have pursued. I have had a pottery shop/artist’s studio for about thirty years, and I have taught at Vanderbilt for as many years, initially as a part-time lecturer, and then full time for the past decade. I have traversed these two distinct---and yet related---worlds, accomplishing an incredible amount in each day. Yet I see that after decades, I am still in the same place! My own artwork remains unmistakably my style, despite what I believe to be concerted efforts on my part to make changes.

The radiating birds represent how I am often headed in many different directions, but it all originates from the same source. I am fenced in by my own constraints, always thinking inside my own little box.

Once committed to a life of family, I have broken out of that mold, only to find that my social circles are often composed of the same people I have known for years. I travel from one town to another to visit longtime friends, acquaintances and fellow artists. Many other elements of my life seem so constant, and perhaps that is why I often think that I am going nowhere fast!