ARTIST STATEMENT    I employ a variety of media, but my artwork remains largely based in paper. Ground cotton or other plant fibers are mixed with water and placed against bas-relief forms, leaving fossil-like impressions when dry and the forms removed.

I love the way the handmade paper accepts color in both its wet and dry states. My palette is pails of colored pulp ranging from sky-like blues to sunburst yellows.

The tactile qualities of handmade paper and collage nudge me into a playful interaction with my materials. The viewer's eye can enjoy moving over the diverse dimensional surface of the art.

Emotions and ideas drawn from life experiences starting with my childhood in the tobacco town of Reidsville, North Carolina, have always motivated my mixed media art. Studying at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro revealed new passions for modern dance and poetry.

The rhythms, juxtapositions, and visual images I derive from these are strong inspiration for me. All the arts make me think in unexpected directions, allowing me to add to my visual world rather than simply mimic it.