Exploration of the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Earth promotion is the angle in my work.  Involved within the logic of composition and balance are visuals, which I hope will convey my feelings of frustration and also those of strength.

Road-kill Revenge:  A road-killed fox has been blessed with rebirth and an enormous humanoid body.  With this she can destroy that which has so irreverently slaughtered her Earth brothers and sisters.  The spirits who endowed her with this massive destructive power remain vigilant, guiding her as she pursues her purpose.  She wreaks havok on the human civilization in pursuit of absolute revenge.

Rootstomp:  This creature-person is slamming his root feet through the concrete, and into the soil, returning life to the Earth below as leaves and pollen fly from his fingertips.

“In Reverence”, Nature’s Claim:  The cat lady is claiming the road-killed rabbit for the Earth as she is a spokesperson for nature.  The expired rabbit’s lifeless body does not belong in the streets only to rot away.   If it is left here, this body that once housed blessed life will be something to ignore, to be avoided by man and left to breed sick bacteria.  She will return the dead body to the forest where will become life once again.

Degradation of our planet’s life forms has driven me to the realm of art.

oil on canvas, Dr Oz, 24×18
oil on canvas, New York-New York 48×36
oil on canvas, The Abduction of Europa 48×36

My work explores the relationships between landscape, architecture, agriculture and the displacement of indigenous species.  In my encaustic works, references to each of these subjects are integrated into the surface of the paintings as dimensional collage elements.  Branches, reeds, seeds and other plant materials, as well as processed food items, are embedded into a wax medium to showcase their fragility in various stages of plant life, from embryos to post-harvest products processed for mass consumption.  Copper, metal wire and mesh underlying and surrounding the paintings suggest a mechanical / industrial presence infiltrating and isolating the natural landscape.  This series of mixed media works comments on our consumption of natural resources, utilizing produce and patterns of planting to reference agricultural development of the landscape, and alludes to a variety of interactions between man-made structures and the natural environment:  inspiration and imitation, digestion and destruction, cultivation and captivity.

I was intrigued with the concept of ‘doppelganger’, the ghostly counterpart of a living person. These images developed into a series, and I later named them as if they were autonomous beings.

mixed media on coated paper

The inspiration for my recent paintings ‘Marie in the Forest’ and ‘Nature Girl’ were my friend, Marie.  In addition to being an very talented artist and art model she is also a wilderness survivalist.  In these paintings I wanted to express her connection to the forest.

My other painting ‘Twins Intwined’ shows my two friends Alison and Marjorie who are identical twins.  Their sisterly bond is expressed though their intwined bodies.

This series is an ongoing look at individualism in a world becoming more homogenized. Assimilation can be defined as the process by which a person or persons acquire the social and psychological characteristics of a group. This is not always a bad thing, but in a world that is flattening out with respect to our differences and the things that make us unique we run the risk of being assimilated into uninteresting.
For the photographs I dress all participants in a black turtle neck shirt and photograph them against a black background. This is my way to illustrate the differences in our likeness.  I give little or no instructions during the photo session other than to demonstrate to the participants where to stand.  Without directions people tend to resort to the familiar. For some this might be nervousness for others it is a chance to get lost in their own thoughts still others turn outward with smiles and laughter. It is this individualism that I am looking for when staring through the viewfinder.
At first I did not see the implication of the project as I was looking at the photos individually, but after I had photographed fifty people, printed the images of each one and laid them out all together it become obvious to me that every person’s individualism shined through despite being dressed and photographed the same.
Our personalities come through our faces, our expressions, our mannerisms we use our hands as extensions of our face. When someone squeezes their hands tightly generally their face shows tension and alternatively when they throw up their hands a smile tends to cross their face.
Incorporation maybe unstoppable but the good news is we the people are not faceless drones remain individuals as snowflakes even when dressed alike.