Inspiration and Process

Earlier than we can recall discrete memories, we begin to store imagery. For instance, two of the images I still carry with me are from when I was only one-year old. Years worth of warehoused images subliminally appear in my work. I’ve even awakened from sleep with images rearranged in my mind that I’ve then created on panel or canvas.

While life has provided me with many such images, the truly exceptional ones are few and far between. One of the key parts of my process is selecting those “wow” images, both from memory and from my original photographs, and integrating design elements. My art can give you a glimpse into the subjects and sensations that have been significant to me, such as trees aligned in the pattern of a southern Minnesota wind break and the breaking of shadows on water along the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Though imagery can generate my initial inspiration, color and pattern serve as significant building blocks to make that impelling force into art. My process can be summed as a blend of mono-printed backgrounds with printed foregrounds via screens, plates, brayers, squeegees, drawing and photo ink transfers.

 

History

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My path as a mixed-media artist likely began at age five with a finger-painting/chalk drawing. This grounding composition currently hangs above my desktop. Little did I know this would be my first piece ever shown and the beginning of many years of encouragement to continue in visual art.
I earned my degree in art and design at the University of Minnesota, making triangular paths from Minneapolis East Bank to West Bank to St. Paul Campus. During my time in college, art and design merged as I mixed the mediums of printmaking with drawing, textiles and collage.
As a full-time artist my experiences have run the gamut from production silk screen printing to having my work jury-selected for our university art museum. Today my pieces include large scale installations placed by art consultants in office and medical buildings. Smaller personal works emerge as I explore new techniques and imagery.
 

Exhibitions

MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS
2000 – Point of View
The Foot in the Door 2000, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, MN
1997 – You’ll Be There Soon
Permanent Collection, Weisman Art Museum, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
INTERNATIONAL COLLECTIONS
2011: Global Academy, Inc., for Changsha, Hunan Province, China
2010: American Councils for International Education, Admin. Exchange Program, Sao Paulo, Brazil
1999: Wine Fest Commission, Bordeaux, France
1996: DKK Corporation, Tsukuba, Japan
1995: Merrill Corporation, Toronto, Canada
SOLO & GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2015: Art in Common, The Commons Workplace, Excelsior, MN
2010: Dakotah Installation, DLR Group, Minneapolis, MN
2006: A Sense of Place, Woman’s Club of Minneapolis, MN
2005: Imagewise Guest Artist, NKBldg, NE Minneapolis, MN
2002: Prints Invitational, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk, CT
2000: Instructor and Student Art, TreeGallery, Tonka Bay, MN
1997: Alumnus Retrospective, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
1993: Interwoven Energies, Bloomington Art Center, Bloomington, MN
1991: Collective Visions, 5th Street Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
1991: Studio Works, Ville De Lacs Art Gallery, Fairmont, MN
1989: Print Cloth Series, FM Gallery, Edina, MN
1988: Screen Printing/Collage, The Frame Makers, Golden Valley, MN
1986: Studio Crawl, Studios at 700 Washington Ave. Minneapolis, MN
1983: Opening Exhibition, SACKS Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
JURIED EXHIBITIONS
Lake Superior 20/20 Studio & Art Tour, Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts, Minnetonka Center for the Arts, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Lake Minnetonka Arts Tour, Uptown Art Fair, Art on the Lake Excelsior, Des Moines Art Festival, Two Rivers Art Expo, American Craft Expo.