Artist Statement
I grew up in a wild place. Just behind my house, a creek ran down from the snow-laden mountain and continued on to the great river where prehistoric fish swam in the deeps. As a child, I felt kinship with the trees, the waters and the creatures all around. They spoke to me. But I also grew up with people who lived close to that land—hunters, fishers, farmers, carpenters and hermits.
In all my artistic iterations; writer, choreographer, dancer, photographer and painter I have tried to show what Thomas Berry calls “a communion of subjects more than a collection of objects” for it is a profound belief of mine that spirit is in all things, that the creation is alive. So, I have a lifelong fascination with the natural world and the people who live close to it. I am a mother, and the relationship of humans to the planet is like that of mother to child. I have absorbed this teaching through many years of living with and near indigenous peoples.
The imaginative journey I have pursued through photography for almost two decades now extends into the realm of wax, painting, collage and mark making. My photos with beeswax and oils are lush and sensuous, they give digital images weight, materiality and physicality.
They represent perfect hours in the sun and rain. I am also developing an extensive mobile artistry practice using the fabulous apps we have available now.
In my journey through various art forms I always hoped my work would help people remember our fundamental and spiritual connection with the natural world and so I have exhorted my students, collectors and fans to “Follow the Dirt Road in Your Soul.”
