I am in awe of artists’ ability to share feelings in such an intimate, expressive way. Throughout my life, color, texture, shape, and most importantly, nature, have been magnets. Little did I know after the death of my husband that art would be the healing therapy that would bring renewed meaning and joy to my life. My life and career had been entrenched in financial services for 25 years, not art!
With loss comes a sense of aloneness, worthlessness, hollowness, and uselessness. At the intersection of those emotions and an overpowering basal need to express those sentiments creatively, my artwork is born. I use thread and throwaways to symbolize how even the tired, used, and totally spent can experience new life. Through free motion machine embroidery, I seek the viewer’s visceral response of surprise as they realize the sculptured material is simply thread. It’s the reminder and the confirmation that one little strand — or woman — truly can do seemingly impossible things when challenged to do so.
Education
2015 - 2016 University of the Arts, Philadephia, PA Craft and Material Studies, Fiber Arts
1983 - 1985 Columbia College University, Columbia, MO Business Finance
1973-74 University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO Journalism
1972 Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, MO
Awards & Honors
2020 Recipient, Leonardo Da Vinci International Prize for Contemporary Art, Florence, Italy
Recipient, UNESCO International Women in Art, Rome, Italy
2018 - 2020 Artist in Residence, Cherry Street Pier, Philadelphia, PA
2016 - 2017 Artist in Residence, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Bibliography
2017 SDA Exhibition in Print, Winter 2017
2016 “On Display," Cover art for juried show brochure Making It, September 2016