water based graphite sticks , marking pens , graphite powder through stencils , some soft pastel . I do spray with my fixative whenever I have added dry media , let dry , fuse and then apply clear medium .
I am often asked about my images - my content . While I work I form narratives in my mind that tell the story of the piece , much like a novelist creates characters or a composer clusters notes . It is an integral part of my process . And titles are poetry for me . In fact , they also become a summation of the journey I have taken in the evolution of the piece . I work with images that resonate meaning for me and always view them in relationship to each other . In essence , I tell a story through my images , with orwithout incorporating text . It is my hope that the viewer responds to the totality of the piece , its visual energy , whether or not one can articulate “ the story ”.
My works have usually employed recognizable content and are represented in ambiguous spaces , watery and atmospheric . My experimentation with images has evolved with an understanding that there is a kind of internal logic linking certain forms with each other , a logic that , perhaps , belongs to the world of archetypes , and definitely forms its own iconography of symbols . Pieces are layered and developed over an extended period . Sequence , chronology and time play a significant role in these works , regardless of the medium . There is often an intentional blurring of boundaries between the physical and the psychical - this is what sustains my interest and what , for me , continuously opens up future possibilities .
I am an artist who is also an art educator . Teaching art became a significant aspect of my art practice very early - right out of graduate school . I have had the privilege of working with a great variety of students , and it is true that the instructor learns more from the student than does the student from the teacher . My orb of teaching has included artists ages 5-92 -, mostly in art centers and private studios . While I teach many classes and workshops to adult students , my work with children holds a special place in my heart . One morning a week I teach art to first graders in a private school . I have maintained a rich affiliation with the Meher Schools in Lafayette , CA for many years . I actually set up the initial art department when the school first opened and have a deep regard for its educational philosophy . One afternoon a week I teach high school students in an independent home schooling program offered through a local school district and have done so for the last 12 years .