A starting point for a drawing can be something that appeals to me to draw, an idea, or sometimes a doodle.  However my drawings begin, I go in whatever direction they take me as they begin to evolve.  They rarely end up where they began, and work best when I have no pre-conceived notion of what a drawing should be.

Using colored pencils allows me to layer color upon color to create complex variations.  I think of this as “evolving” a color.  I use micron pens and pastels to help with this, frequently blending colors and then adjusting them.  In this way, I can push and pull color and form until I feel the balance is right and the work is done. 

I am intrigued by ambiguity and how easily our perception of something can change.  The perspective of the moment gives something a particular effect, impact, or meaning.  If that is changed, even slightly, different feelings and associations emerge.  An image does not have to be able to actually exist in the natural world for us to react to it emotionally or intellectually.  The methods I use help me to express this. 

As with many artists, I have worked in several mediums, including oil paint, watercolor, fiber, and colored pencils.  In the 1990’s I began working seriously with fiber, creating works with needlepoint, rug hooking, and my own handmade felt.  I am also a knitter, and design and spin yarn.  About ten years ago, I began to work with colored pencils, which is my primary medium today, although I continue to work frequently with fiber and other mediums as they seem appropriate.

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