My handmade paper art derives from the need to create balance. That need originates from society’s discrepancies of pain and joy, security and instability, compassion and exploitation, etc. as well as balance within the aesthetic variables of hue, texture, shape, line and proportion.
I love the hands on approach of working with paper pulp and the many ways it can be manipulated to be 2D, 3D, textural, smooth, sewn, painted on and much more!
When I was a teenager in school, I remember a science class where the instructor informed us that water is an extremely strong chemical compound and that each droplet works as a magnet wanting so badly to be with the neighboring droplet. Of course, I had to try it out and quickly found out it’s true…water will pull itself towards each other to create a larger puddle. This really cemented my fascination with water.
I attended the University of Minnesota and earned my Bachelor of Science in Textile Science spending a lot of time post-studies in textile laboratories and the science field. After this wonderful experience, I was ready to take my love of fiber and its many properties in a different, more creative direction. I returned to University studies and obtained my Master of Art in Applied Design. My focus was on Integrative Interruptions in Color Relationships. For my thesis, I had to assert what art medium to show my design principles in, and discovering the medium of handmade paper, I was hooked. With the many pigments and additives used, not to mention almost anything you want to throw in the pulp mixture and the variety of fibers available, It’s a great combination of water, fiber, art, and science…the perfect art medium for me!
I have continued to work and play in the medium of paper pulp, and all of its’ wonderful properties ever since!
