Living in Santa Barbara, I am constantly inspired by the natural forms I see. My decades as a University Professor in Southern California, as well as in the beautiful Sonoran Desert in Tucson, Arizona have been important in nurturing my love of nature and seeing what new beauty it can reveal. I spent my youth in a small college town in Western Massachusetts, where I came to love the beauty of nature, seeing flowers and plants bud in springtime, flourish in summer and turn magical in fall with stunning changes in color.
I recently learned about “eco-printing”; in essence, taking flowers and leaves that thrive in Southern California and “printing” them onto silk fibers and cotton-based papers. This intriguing process makes use of my scientific mind, allowing me to experiment with different processes. Each piece reveals something spectacular about nature.
A flower or plant that appears to be uniform in color, is transformed into new, subtle, and complex colors that shimmer slightly on the silk and cotton fibers. Colors vary depending on the process, the time of year in which the plant is clipped, the time the plant materials are allowed to remain on the cotton and silk fibers, and the materials used to prepare the fibers. As a result of this complex and fascinating process, pieces are difficult to replicate, rendering each piece unique. I have also experimented with creating assemblages of these pieces, some of which are shown on this website.
I often use plants from my own garden or neighborhood. While exploring and foraging, I have also come to notice desiccated cactus leaves on the ground, and observe their intricate, delicate, and dimensional structures.
Given the drought in Southern California, and being ecologically minded, I aim to use as little water as possible in the process of making my work. I use all-natural materials and return what I have used back to the earth. My ultimate goal is to capture the ephemeral aspects of nature and recast them into works of art that others can appreciate.