Waxed cloth assemblage made with waterway staind silk

I leave silk to soak in water, mud, and sediments from rivers, lakes and bogs throughout Minnesota. Silk, dyed naturally with sediment and water, is cut, placed, and heat set with wax to make large scale artwork. My waxed cloth assemblages combine organic shapes, earth colors and unique textures to create abstract patterns. Inspired by microscopic images of algae and diatoms found in water and sediment used to dye the cloth, I render the rhythms, shapes and forms viewed under the microscope to a larger than life scale. Uniting science and art, the work offers a unique way to “see” what is hidden to the naked eye and the conscious mind.

Inspired by the land, water, and cycle of life, I work with a sense of movement through inter-lacings of textures, shapes, color, light and design. As an abstractionist, I hope my assemblages evoke the grandeur of life at all levels. Literally made in collaboration with earth, rivers and watersheds of Minnesota, the art merges with nature, allowing us to explore the fragile, yet tenacious existence of life.