Gallery

Those Before Me, 2023
paper, wood, photographs, waxed linen, acrylic, ink

The women who came before me were brave, gutsy, and spirited. They were mothers, daughters and sisters, sometimes stubborn but always determined, nurturing and caring. Depicted at work, play, and during milestone events, the women in these family photographs cover over a 100-year period from 1885 to 2010. It was an honor to pay tribute to my female ancestors. Constructed of 25 double-sided wooden screens, this sculpture features woven surfaces made of hand-painted paper embellished with printed and written words and family images.

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Men of the Sea, 2024
paper, wood, photographs, waxed linen, acrylic, ink

Men of the Sea combines my textile art practice of weaving with paper, netting and family photographs. The work was created as a homage to the long line of male relatives who were involved with ships, boats and the ocean.

The sculpture consists of 18 double-sided wood and paper screens arranged in a concertina shape which sits on a bed of handmade netting. The screens feature woven surfaces made with hand-painted paper and are adorned with images and words.

The 28 family photographs in this piece depict 5 generations over a 100-year timespan. The images illustrate men fishing, lobstering, deep sea diving, and building boats. These family members were ship captains, engineers and able-body seamen. Some were in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and others worked for the Steamship Authority, but most were self-employed. All worked the waters in and around Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod for generations.

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What Brings You Joy, 2024
paper, wood, wire, acrylic, waxed linen, ink

When navigating issues that come up in life it can be beneficial to focus on the positive rather than the negative. An optimistic attitude can allow an openness to new ideas that could result in productive and innovative solutions to issues. Being joyful is very individualistic. What contributes to one being happy will be different for each person.

The viewer is welcome to interpret this work any way you wish. If you are looking for a starting point think of the words that appear in this sculpture as providing positive inspiration to the ribbons and strands as they move up, over, through and around obstacles.

The words that appear in this piece are related to experiences, actions and people that bring me joy:
sing
dance
music
art
style
play
love
smiles
laughter
creativity
family
friends
children

What bring you joy?

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Making Decisions, 2023
paper, acrylic, wood, waxed linen, ink

The process of making decisions can be as unique as the individuals making them. Some people research, plan and discuss while others delay and obstruct. Folks may lead or they may follow. Plans may unravel, take a circuitous route or necessitate input from others to achieve the desired result of one’s decision.

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Decisions – Words Matter, 2023
reed, cane, wood, waxed linen, linen, paper, acrylic, ink
Rib Basketry Weaving, Plaiting, Twining
21"w x 21"d x 14"h

How does one make decisions, are they well planned out and research or are they an impulsive reaction? Are we in a time when words do not mean anything? Thoughts and opinions can be polarizing, get entwined and may change. The words stamped onto hand-painted paper reflect many wide-ranging present-day views. The twisting spiral connected to a central core echoes the idea that we are all connected in one way or another.

This sculpture has been worked on off and on for months. Twice it appeared finished but with further contemplation there was more to be said. One rib has been purposely left unfinished, signifying that assessments and language can shift.

Printed words:
follow
lead
plan
discuss
think
obstruct
research
delay
truth
lies
fact/fiction
declaration
utterance
conspiracy

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Thank You, 2022
paper, acrylic, wood, waxed linen

Thank You was produced to illustrate my gratitude and to acknowledge all of the amazing people who taught me fiber, textiles and basketry over the years.These creative individuals taught me skills, lifted me up, encouraged me and helped me forge my way in the fiber world.Without each and every one of them I would not be where I am now, THANK YOU.

Written on the sculpture:
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, time and love of fibers, textiles and basketry. Annie Campbell, Judy McKinnon, Lesley Dill, Marjorie Puryear, Martha Keller, Lois Russell, Nathalie Miebach, John Garrett, Jackie Abrams, Jo Stealey, Barbara De Pirro, Lynette Dingle-Youson, Pat Hickman

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Current Affairs, 2022
paper, acrylic, waxed linen, mono-filament, ink

Current Affairs, a 7-foot-tall hanging sculpture, captures a moment in time when human rights and democracy are under attack. Stamped on accordioned paper that floats down the center of the work are the words, WOMEN’S RIGHTS, LGBTQ RIGHTS, RACIAL EQUALITY and DEMOCRACY – all of which are under assault. Shapes swirling around the center represent the countless alliances protecting the rights of those under an onslaught. Written words are woven into many of the swirling shapes calling for equality, understanding, acceptance, and respect.

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Still Off-Kilter, 2022
paper, acrylic, waxed linen

Still Off Kilter, with its tilting profile and varying shades of red, represents hope of a brighter future beyond the effects of COVID-19.

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Fading Memories, 2021
paper, acrylic, string

Fading Memories explores the idea of vanishing recollection. Written words convey things forgotten: names of childhood friends, subjects studied in high school, learning to ride a bike, how to read music, and talks with grandparents. Applied pieces of paper, with words unreadable, symbolize clouding thoughts. The string that wraps around the rim of the vessel is a nod to the childhood practice of tying a string around your finger to remember something important.

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When Opposites Attract, 2021
paper, acrylic, waxed linen

When Opposites Attract illuminates how people who may not think alike or look alike can flourish together.

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Life is Complicated, 2021
paper, acrylic, waxed linen

Life is Complicated speaks to the life struggles people face. Seven vessels surround a larger central vessel — all mounted on a platform. Each of the seven vessels represents a potential life challenge: mental health, physical health, addiction, food, employment, education, and religion. Words related to each issue are woven inside the vessels and are repeated on the interior. Words in the central vessel offer coping strategies for navigating these challenges. At the very bottom of the central vessel the words that represent struggles are repeated; recognizing that even with coping strategies, one still carries the issues with them.

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COVID-19: We Are All in This Together, 2020
paper, acrylic, waxed linen

COVID-19: We Are All in This Together began when my brother was hospitalized for COVID-19 in April 2020. The work consists of 225 individual cubes captured in a 12-square-foot hand-knotted net. 225 represents the number of countries and territories that had reported cases of the virus to the World Health Organization by April 2020. The size of each cube relates to the overall population of the country or territory.

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Holding the Family Together, A Child’s View of Divorce, 2020
paper, acrylic, abaca paper, linen

Holding the Family Together illustrates the raw emotion and the hopeless task of a child trying to hold a family together during a divorce.

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So Many Decisions, 2020
paper, acrylic gouache

So Many Decisions was created soon after after my father’s passing in early 2020 to capture the swirl of decisions and emotions that seemed endless during the final months of his life. The colors employed in this piece recall what I saw when I walked into his closet for the last time.

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Dreaming in Color, 2019
paper, acrylic gouache

Dreaming in Color celebrates color as an important element in my work. Exploring new techniques, I wanted super-saturated color for this piece so chose acrylic gouache for its intense color and then employed a matte finish. Beyond bold color, my goal was to start with a fairly traditional basketry base and then evolve into a random swirl with no clear ending.

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Rambunctious Rebels, 2019
paper, acrylic, waxed linen

Rambunctious Rebels joins together three vessels — capturing movement as if in dance. While similar in color palette, each vessel has a unique shape. Baskets are typically round, oval, or square. By creating more organic shapes, my goal was to lead the viewer’s eye along an undulating, moving surface.

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Things Piling Up, 2017
paper, acrylic, waxed linen
private collection

Things Piling Up was constructed from parts of 15 cat’s head baskets that were woven and cut up. This work speaks to the stress and demands people may feel when work, family, and everyday life come together.

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Melting Pot, 2017
paper, acrylic, waxed linen
private collection

Melting Pot is a three-dimensional pie chart illustrating race and ethnicity in America at three points in history. The bottom basket represents 1620 and the arrival of the Pilgrims. The middle basket symbolizes 1870, the year of the first United States census after the Civil War. The top basket stands for the 2010 United States census. The colors represent race and ethnicity, blue = Native Americans, red = white non-Latino, orange = African Americans, green = Latinos, and purple = Asians. The dented melting pot of 2010 sits precariously — as if it is about to fall over — reflecting the complicated state of race relations in the United States.

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Three Generations, 2015
paper, acrylic, waxed linen
private collection

Three Generations was influenced by my family genealogy research. The concept is that each generation is built on the back of the previous one and that each generation is related but unique at the same time. The top layer features quotes by John F. Kennedy, Mahatma Gandhi, Maya Angelou, and others — think of the words as tattoos. The youngest generation wants the viewer to know what they are thinking. Inside the top layer is a knotted ball, perhaps yet another generation.

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