“My current series of botanical drawings pay homage to objects in the natural world whose beauty and grace have inspired me. The structure and form of these plants are both exotic and familiar in a way that invites focused investigation. My drawings are an opportunity for me to redefine these objects through my experience with them. My drawings are not re-creations as much as they are re-inventions.
Inspired by the work of photographer Richard Creamer, I too am looking at the grace in every stage of life. Dried magnolia branches assume a stately elegance even in the process of decay. Zinnias dried by the first frost retain their regal gesture and an amazing amount of color. Winter oak leaves twist and turn creating a sculptural monument frozen in time. With my large drawings I am creating monuments to celebrate their beauty. The intensely meditative process of creating their likenesses makes me feel peaceful and connected.
The physical process of making marks that portray sensuous and complex forms intrigues me. The completed drawings reveal the tension between the finished realistic object and the exploratory marks made in the process of rendering that image that remain on the paper in the background.
I draw with a level of realism that focuses on creating the illusion of 3 dimensional space on a 2 dimensional surface and reinventing the object as a new reality…a drawing. This has been an interest since the first realistic watercolor painting of a silver pitcher I saw as a child. I like to work on hot press paper because the smooth surface facilitates a high level of realism. My favorite tools are oil pastels, Caran d’Ache neo color crayons and graphite. The strong pigmentation of these tools provides the colors that elicit the emotions these objects evoke.
"My work will continue to be inspired by the natural world around me.