THE HUIPILES
Monoprint of Guatemalan Huipilies (blouse) collar. The blouse is handmade by each women and each village has its own pattern.
THE TANGO DANCER
Postcard from travels. It is unusual with real fabric, sewing and glitter. It caught my eye in a store.
THE HIKING TRAIL
Postcard and monoprint representing favorite pastime... hiking and camping in the wilderness. A reminder of time hiking on a 10 day backcountry loop in Canadian Rockies where we would wake to snow each morning and the sun would melt the snow and wildflowers would pop up.
THE BIRD'S NEST
Collage of collected nests and eggs. Monoprint of robin's egg blue eggs. Old blue spool that looked like an egg with background of a nest stamp. A blue ceramic bowl holding a nest of blue yarns and china eggs. Real eggs. A little book made for friends about friendship.
THE CHARM
A collection of good luck charms found in different cultures with a birthday card of fortunes from friends. This piece represents all the good fortune I have found in my life loving family, opportunity to travel, use art both commercially and for charity and having a great husband, children and friends.
THE DEVIL
The Deviled Ham can. A favorite label design. Memories of childhood picnics. The idea of childhood naughtiness.
THE CAMEL
Camels collage of children's book illustration from Egypt, real travel experience of riding camels in India and Syria, "Camel" cigarettes logo, toy camel in a shadowbox. I was always fascinated by the shape of a camel and the exotic nature of where they lived and how they were used by Bedouins.
THE WAVES
One of many pieces on water...a favorite subject of mine both for swimming and bodies of water. Ruffled fabric made from dad's shirts and collected fabric from travels to recreate waves of water.
THE STEAL
Everyone has stolen one thing in their life. My theft ws of my favorite illustrated childhood book "The Tall Book of Christmas" -- unusual stories and old-fashioned art- not in stock so I stole one from the public library (well, they had 2 copies and I paid for the one I checked out and lost)
THE BREASTS
My fascination with the beauty of breasts. A Magritte painting of breasts and monoprint interpretation representing all that is feminine. More recently experiencing a breast biopsy for cancer. A testimony to all women surviving breast cancer and those that didn't.
THE EYEGLASSES
The need to where eyeglasses or contacts was a big part of my life and one of fashion and design. One of many pair of colorful arty eyeglasses juxtaposed with temple of Nepal. Also, this piece symbolized the last way of 'talking' to my dad before he died through his eyes.
THE BOX
A monoprint of an old box of peppercorns -- the picture of fried eggs and bacon - memories of childhood breakfasts.
THE SEX SYMBOL
A Guatemalan clay statue of Adam and Eve symbolizing sex and paradise. The nature of sex in feeling, connection, and intimate relationship. The idea of paradise on earth.
THE MATISSE
Taking a favorite famous Matisse painting and recreating it. Memories of lemonade stands and favorite colors - chinese red and salmon pink. Labeled fruit -- from real off the tree to the commercialization of food.
THE WISH
A wish wanting to be Georgia O'Keefe settling in New Mexico and being that intimate with one's artwork.
THE TOMATO
Collection of Tomato things representing the red tomato color, shape and taste off the vine especially in Greek salad. Monoprints, stickers, stickpin, postcard, woodtrim and my very favorite sewing notion the tomato pin cushion. Why a tomato?
THE SUNSET
My favorite time of day when all your work is done, you are content to relax. Everything is in silhouette like a Magritte painting. The colors are spectacular. This photo was taken in Botswana.
THE CLOCK
Rendition of childhood school assignment (or punishment) of rewriting the same line to remember -- "I will not be late again" and Barbie clock. I have no sense of time and always trying to squeeze in one more chore which makes me late. I know it is rude.
THE LOBSTER
I love the shape of lobsters, the way they grow and molt and how they turn red when murdered! I love the taste and all the things used to eat lobster from the bib, little fork for picking out the meat, and little pot for melted butter. My collection of lobster includes a postcard, a painted rock, lobster facts and a jello mold.
THE BEACH
Spliced collage of two drawings of favorite places the Virgin Gorda snorkeling beach and the Maine coast.
THE LILY OF THE VALLEY
Postcard collage of buttons and stickers using my birth flower -- Lily of the Valley. I love the smell and the flower. The first time I saw it growing was when we moved to Boston.
THE FAVORITE FOOD
My very favorite food of all time... french fries. I like them so much I used to horde them. I like crispy, soft with the skin showing with ketchup doused with pepper. I probably like them because I am Irish. Also, a Texas Hamburger joint, Kips Big Burgers had the best hamburger with secret sauce that tasted like thousand island dressing.
THE STORM
Magazine photo of a storm moving across the plain and copy. A memory burned in my mind from childhood car trips from Texas through New Mexico to California. The storms were dramatic, dark and moved quickly through the red buttes and plains of the west. I loved them and miss them in New England.
THE SHRIMP PLANT
A monoprint and photograph of one of hundreds of plants photographed, drawn, dried, picked on a trips. This one particularly for the shape and subtle color change like a sunset.
THE PHILOSOPHY
Monoprint of quote "Each human is uniquely different. The human pattern is never cast twice" by Alice Childress. This quote represented my father's belief "You are no better than anyone else and nobody is better then you" -- my mantra for living.
THE LAP SWIMMER
One of many studies of swimmers representing my favorite form of exercise. This is a paper cutout of me swimming back and forth doing laps everyday at the Y.
THE SAILBOATS
One of our families best times on the Big RTW Trip in Paris, spending the day not in museums but sailing boats in the fountains.
THE SACRED MOUNTAIN
An example of syncronicity which happens all the time or what I like to call a "cosmic" coincidence. On one of our many trips to the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland (1990), I painted a sacred mountain on a rock. Years later, I climbed that same mountain with a friend in 2005.
THE JEWELRY
One of my favorite pastimes was looking in my grandmother's jewelry box as a little girl. These earrings of aquamarine stones, moonstone and diamonds were my favorite. The diamond trim represents the many fancy clothes my grandmother wore to parties. She knew how to enjoy life.
THE DAFFODILS
One of my favorite flower shapes. The bursting petals with the frilly center . Daffodils in clear blue sky of spring -- so important to see after a hard New England winter.
THE VALENTINE
There was period where I used to handmake valentines. I used to repeat grid patterns a lot. I like to interpret one image in different ways to express different meanings.
THE EROSION OF CULTURE
Using Bhutanese fabric to symbolize the erosion of ancient culture to a developing 21st century civilization. Is it good or bad for a country? Our trip to Bhutan was a perfect example of a closed system which opened up to the world by adding television to their everyday life.
THE CACTUS
A clay cactus statue from Central America and postcard represents a strange thorny plant with beautiful flowers. I have always wanted to take a trip to the desert to see the blooms. They are also reminders of our cliff house in Texas where a neighbor's son was running in the valley and fell into a cactus patch.
THE DESERT COLORS
I have painted many walls and chosen many colors. I have a fascination with paint swatches. I used a selection to represent desert colors of a drawing I did in New Mexico -- a favorite destination.
THE COTTON BALL
Growing up going through cotton fields to school. The fascination of the way it grows... so soft inside a thorny hard pod. A reminder of the movie "Gone with the Wind".
THE ANNIVERSARY
One of many cards written to Dick about how time and work ripens a relationship and makes it richer.
MY FAVORITE MATISSE
My favorite artist is Henri Matisse. He painted my favorite image -- goldfish in a bowl.
THE FAMILY PHOTO
A photo of Mother, Dad and I at Easter. I have siblings but spent most of my childhood as an only child. Holidays were celebrated with special dresses and decorations -- favorite days for me.
THE QUICKSAND
Three postage stamps of Mont St. Michel Castle of France on a background of sandpaper -- symbolic of quicksand surrounding castle and our three trips to France.
THE LITTLE GREEN PEAS
I have saved this can with its silver label as a reminder of my Aunt Jane who always served peas at Thanksgiving -- her signature. This represents all the great family holidays spent with aunts, uncles and cousins. It also represents the peas in a pod grown in our organic veggie garden. The artwork behind the can is one of my favorite illustrator's Sara Midda... so quaint and whimsical.
THE CHINA
I love pattern, especially fancy china patterns. This is my grandmothers china. It is quite interesting because it is a mix of French and Chinese design. I could never find it in any store until one day in New Hampshire, we had the kids in the car and Dick said he would watch them while I went into one antique store. I walked in and saw a set of Mimi's china and now I have it for myself.
THE SHIRT
After my Dad's death, I wanted to used his shirts in some way. This is a monoprint on his classic plaid button down shirt made to look like the midnight starry sky.
THE TRUTH?
An abstract painting about "white lies" -- truth? I am especially interested in the idea of total truth vs. using lies to make a person feel good.
THE PURSE
This coin purse from Europe in my favorite color -- sky blue with hidden foreign coins inside was given to me by my grandmother who loved to travel and became my mentor.
THE DOLLS
My collection of dolls from my adventurous grandmother. This would become an important symbol of my lust for travel and love of different cultures.
THE FRUIT
I have a fascination with fruit colors, shapes and tastes and for tiny miniatures found in these clay trinkets from Central America.
THE MESAS
A repeated image... the mesas and buttes of New Mexico. The study of shape, color and idea of landscape.
THE MERMAIDS
My love of water led me to fall in love with mermaids -- a symbol of the magic in women. This piece pulls together my collection of images about this mythical creature.
THE HOLIDAY CARD
A copy of handrawn salmon for Christmas card with story about a nature experience in Nevada of seeing bubble gum fish eggs in the water as the fish were spawning. Attached is an ethnic coin purse with surprise hidden fish coin inside.
THE FLOCK OF ANGELS
My fascination with angels -- winged cherubs from "heaven" or "birds" in human form, led to this collage of all the trinkets and images I have collected from Pez containers, stickers, wooden or clay statures, holy cards and a commercial art illustration.
THE CUP
One of the many traveling experiences to Tibet when there was no infrastructure for tourists. The experience was "real", not set up as a tourist attraction. The cup symbolized how I washed my hair outside with only a cup of freezing water.
THE BODY
A monoprint study of two bodies, one on top of the water floating and one swimming under the water with air bubbles in my two favorite colors -- swimming pool aqua and flesh.
THE TRAIL
A watercolor trying to capture one moments fascination with nature on a hike thru art and collected rocks wired to the piece.
THE NEWSPAPER
A collage representing my fascination with the design of how a foreign arabic language looks like as art and communication. The misrepresentation of American's clumping together of arabic people and terrorists.
THE LOCKER ROOM
My favorite acroutrement of swimming, square blue tile, goggles, blue glass bottle of alcohol and swimming watch used for my daily swim for over 25 years.
THE GREEN GRASS
Growing up in Texas, I will never forget the thick summer green St. Augustine grass and my childhood memory of finding ladybugs and putting them in jars.
THE RUFFLE
Another way of expressing water with favorite ruffle trim.
THE POPPY
One of my favorite flowers , Poppy with its tissue paper fragile petal of brilliant orange red with a deep velvet black center -- so fragile. Seeds from a trip to Alaska. A piece of graphic wrapping paper and a decorative button... one of many in my button collection.
THE FISH
I love fish and spontaneous Japanese brush painting. This napkin uses both in my favorite blue and white combination.
THE V-8 JUICE CAN
I grew up drinking V-8 juice and loved the illustration on the can -- a cornucopia of all the fruits in shapes and colors.
THE FOUR LEAF CLOVER
A celebration of my Irish heritage with cloverleaf fabric from my fabric collection and a clover chocolate mold.
THE SOVIET UNION
My first trip after college in 1980 was to the Soviet Union. It was my first look at communism, how it worked, and the rhetoric that went along with political buttons of the different regimes.
THE PERFUME
A shrine to my perfume bottle collection... my favorite was "Blue Waltz" -- heart shape, rose and sky blue deco top. One of my favorite pastimes in my grandparents house was climbing to the attic and going through old boxes of perfume bottles with there different shapes and scent left in the bottle.
THE BIRDHOUSES
This piece came from a birdhouse show in Chicago where artists designed different homes for birds. The piece includes my notes, a tin pin, watercolor, magazine articles on the show, a little old tin birdhouse and a tile made by a friend.
THE WEAVING
I love ethnic fabric and collect it from all my trips. This brightly colored hand emboidered scene is from life in Guatemala. I attached little clay painted girls and birds to the piece.
THE POWDER
As a child exploring my grandmother's house, I would always land in front of her dressing table. Her face powder had a flower bouquet painted on plastic in the lid. I loved the scent on my grandmother's skin. The watercolor painting includes an old hairpin and perfume bottle pin.
THE FABRIC
One of many exotic fabrics bought during travels, many times representing the richness of the culture. This one is from Indonesia, black with gold print of flowers and peacock feathers.
THE QUESTION
"Why is it that I respond to a certain piece of art?" This piece represents my curiousity about why people like certain kinds of art. It also includes a colorful pointilist graphic interpretation of flowers by Nancy Graves.
THE JAM JAR
I love the way this jam jar has an illustration on the metal lid. My avorite jam flavor is raspberry. Behind is a monoprint interpretation of the raspberry and hanging below are little trinkets of raspberries.
THE BIRTHDAY WISH
"Keep a green tree in your heart and a singing bird will come" =- one of many inspirational birthday wishes about love of nature given to me by my nature-loving friends.
THE SKINNYDIPPING
One of my rituals with my friends is skinny-dipping with friends and kayaking under a midnight sky of stars.
THE DOILY
I love cut-out doilies used under teacups and petit fours -- a symbol of a bygone era of gentility and ladies with feathered hats and gloves.
THE FLOWERS
Collage card art of favorite subjects - flowers and nature.
THE BATH
A monoprint of my two different water experiences -- swimming and bathing.
THE CHERUB
A favorite European baroque symbol of a winged, cherub angel.
THE CLOUD
A favorite image of clouds interpreted with collected buttons and wooden craft cut-outs from my father.
THE WOOD BLOCK
A technique I created for craft a business using India wood blocks to print translucent rice paper applied to baskets using a favorite motif of roses.
THE TULIPS
A monoprint of tulips, a symbol of our trip to Holland to see the tulip fields in full bloom with a photo of my best friend in Texas, Hermine's painting.
THE TEMPLATE
Monoprint of circle template representing breasts and commercial art career.
THE WATERMELON
A favorite fruit and image -- watermelon -- shape and color combination of dark/light green, white, juicy pink and black seeds -- very graphic with collected buttons, a catalog cover, sticker and stamp.
THE ROOF
An observation of traditional building in Bhutan - weighing roofs down with stones and use of a real prayer flag to cover the faade of the building.
THE PRIMITIVE
A painting using mixed media of Indian fabric, Sulawesi statue exploring "foreign, different, primitive, earthy and strange".
THE NIGHT SKY
A monoprint of a midnight blue interpretation of night, infinity, wonder, and shooting stars in the wilderness.
THE RICK RACK
Another interpretation of water currents with rick rack (a symbol of childhood clothing made for me by my mother).
THE FAVORITE THINGS
A painting of favorite colors and symbols of breasts, swimming pools, silk Thai fabric and Guatemalan fabric, with textures and trinkets of travel.
THE BLUE VASE
Old-fashioned rose and ribbon wallpaper from our antique house in New Hampshire with my favorite blue frilly vase holding pink roses.
THE SWIMMER
Little "business card" paintings in a grid of me swimming symbolizing flowing bodies thru water.
THE COLLECTION
A collection of little blue treasures -- marbles, eggs, pottery shards, plates, rocks buttons and candy.
THE BOX
A piece representing one of many hundreds of boxes and suitcases packed and repacked on our round the world trip from 1999-2000.
THE PEARL NECKLACE
The symbol of the pearl necklace... proper upbringing and conservative beauty. Symbol of hiding from parents the fact of I was living with Dick because my parents were visiting me and I had temporarily moved back to my condo.I was getting dressed to go out to dinner with them and my mother suggested I wear the string of pearls she gave me. They were at Dick's house. Oops! Almost caught.
THE WATER BALLET
A card respresenting women in a water ballet circle floating in perfect form.
THE SWIMMING POOL
A pretend swimming pool of fashion design.
THE DIARY
Handmade eraser stamps by Susan Reicken -- sweet and simple -- used as yearly journals.
THE BEADED WATER
Another interpretation of water -- translucency of tissue paper, sparkle of beads -- the idea that water is as precious as a jewel.
THE DESERT SKY
Another interpretation of desert and sky in an abstract painting
THE SUNSET
My favorite time of day when all your work is done, you are content to relax. Everything is in silhouette like a Magritte painting. The colors are spectacular. This photo was taken in Botswana.
THE YARN
Using a weaving to symbolize my life -- yellow sun, blue sky, white clouds, turquoise water, and golden sunlight.
THE CANDY BOX
I love Japanese packaging and miniature marzipan fruits candies. They all come together with a watercolor monoprint of the designs and shapes.
THE TWINKLE LIGHTS
Interpretation of starry night sky box with real twinkle lights and shiny brass screws.
THE TUPPERWARE PARTY
A picture of 1950's tupperware party... perfect housewife syndrome vs. women's liberation.
THE SIBLINGS
Photo taken at a nephew's wedding of Mother and the three siblings -- Jan, Joe and Patty. "Memories are Forever" -- a lot of family history in those faces.
THE FARM
Fantasy farm card represents my fantasy of living on a farm, doing chores, growing vegetables, living by the seasons.
THE SALMON CAN
I saved this can of salmon symbolizing salmon as a favorite color and fish to eat. Years later, I took a walk in an apple orchard and saw the same can used as birdfeeder nailed to tree. At another point in time I did a monoprint on plastic.
THE HOT SKY
Monoprint interpretation of vast hot desert sky and landscape.
THE PEAR TREE
Another Christmas card design about a juicy pear with color ranging from gold, to peach to pink to green. My Christmas story is included.
THE MASSAGE
I love getting massages -- symbolizing the color of flesh, sensuality, relaxation and pleasure.
THE BOTTOM
Postcard about my life -- wearing contact lenses and childhood swimming at the bottom of the pool for hours.
THE CANE CHAIR
Cane weaving -- love of intricate pattern and natural fiber.
PROCESSING A LIFE 110
Patty needs to write a description of this mask and put it in this area.
THE OLD DOLL
Old Peruvian dolls are an example of simply made toys of developing countries. Less is more.
THE JAR
A jar full of treasures collected my whole life -- fake olives of Mimi's martinis, teabag fortunes, pitchers for cream at high tea in England, spoon for spices, Guatemalan clay birds, & entry badges from museums -- measurements on side of jar ask "how many treasures can you collect in a lifetime?"
THE STONES
Box of smooth stones found on beach. Amorphic shape of stones juxtaposed against a sqaure box
THE CELL PHONE
My war on technology -- "black hole" message telling caller that I do not retrieve messagees. Cellphone and now Iphone -- canft leave home without it.
THE SHINY SURFACE
I like shiny things. Especially gold leaf for its brilliance, use in churches, halos around the Virgin Mary. It is formal and sophisticated and catches your eye.
THE DESCRIPTION
Adjectives used to describe poetry, art and to me, water -- "dark, salt, clear, moving and utterly free".
THE HOUSE
Katie Simon"s drawing of her fantasy house -- memory of all the cardboard houses I made as a child and designed in architecture class in college.
THE PHOTO
Postcard of picture of waves in middle of ocean -- the idea of being out in the middle of nowhere with no one to save me -- sharks? rescue?
THE WATERCOLOR
Notecard of painted granite rocks in Ilseford, Maine -- looking on the beach for that magical rock that speaks to your soul.
THE FLOATING LADY
Copy of painting of me floating. The wood background represents the currents of water. I am floating off into 'life'.
THE MOUSE
A monoprint telling the story of a little mouse shivering on a branch waiting to go back into his cozy nest of fluff right before a blizzard struck -- on a special walk with Lidia following along a book, "The Path" by Chet Raymo.
THE WEDDING
Our traditional wedding invitation for a "non-traditional" Jewish/Catholic ceremony -- metaphor for our lifestyle.
THE STICKS
Whittled sticks represents all our camping trips with kids. Their favorite pasttime was carving with Swiss Army knives hiking sticks.
THE LOVE KIT
My valentine one year was a kit to make your own valentines to express a future concept "you are loved, pass it on".
THE FISH POND
Simple Japanese drawing of goldfish and water lilies in pond -- a favorite image.
THE BIRTH FLOWER
My birth flower and astrological information are reminders of childhood birthday fake emerald rings and Miquet de Bois toilet water
THE COASTLINE
A representation of the thousand coastlines I see from the plane where shore is transparent color that changes from light turquoise to deep blue. "Greek Island" refers to the month our family spent lazing around Santorini on our big trip -- heaven.
THE COMFORT FOOD
My favorite bowl of Cream of Wheat with butter and sugar that gets crusty on top. It is especially good for a stomach flu or a cold day. Shown in an eraser stamp made to print with and a monoprint on plastic.
THE CHERRY PIT
Collection of cherry memorabelia -- cherry pie on leaf plate photo, cherry tea towel and cherry cup and saucer pin -- little things I like to look at.
THE COFFEE CUP
Something everyone loves that I canft have because it is like acid in my stomach. I love the aroma. The confusion of what all the different types of coffee are at Starbucks. I could never work there.
THE PIONEER
The cabin in Alaska we stayed in with the outhouse with a view of the forest. The thought I was a pioneer women in my other life. The time I took my whole family for Thanksgiving in the log cabin with Dick having a sprained ankle, cooking the whole dinner on a wood stove, letting the wood fire go out and freezing all night.
THE LILAC BUSH
I love the smell of lilacs and the tiny lavender flowers up close with the bees buzzing all around. Floral incense burning while I do art in studio. Sprigs of lavender picked while on a walk with Jane.
THE CITY LIVING
Living on Boston Common with the Boston skyline and beautiful sunsets. City vs. suburb living. City living with three young children in small spaces. Empty nesting lifestyle possibility.
THE KLEENEX
Printed "cloud" kleenex -- memories of bad 'faucet running nose' childhood allergies using my dads handkerchiefs.
THE RAINBOW
Bright sunny days are favorites, especially living with four seasons in Boston. The pill box of thyroid medicine taken daily for the rest of my life. The phenomenon of night and day.
THE STICKER
I like tiny things and paper things. The concept that a sticker can be motivating on grade school papers an report cards.
THE FAMILY
The family coming together for Mother's eightienth birthday -- What is family? How is everyone alike and different?
THE SENTIMENT
Dick's last minute Valentine that says simply "I love you" -- a man of few "written" words.
THE BROADWAY SHOW
The first "live" performance in my life of "Hello Dolly". I was on the edge of my seat, so exciting -- all that musical talent.
THE TINY PAINTING
I like little things, using business cards with abstract strokes meant to represent the purest elements... clay, rock, sand, dirt with use of real sand for texture.
THE MORNING GLORY
I love the pure smooth blue of morning glory petals in the morning - in the summer I sit outside eating breakfast and look at how the petals are wound up -- the softness of the blue and yellow center.
THE HORIZON
The use of business cards to do abstact studies of sky, water and land with the use of real sand.
THE WATER DROPLETS
Using a monoprint technique, I can record the pattern water makes on plexiglass.
THE HOSE SUPPORTER
Old-fashioned and not used anymore. "Feminine Plus" vs. feminine movement. Childhood memory of becoming a women.
THE LINE DRAWING
I love simple drawing, especially pen and ink. It reminds me of my commercial art/illustration business in Houston -- pen and ink art work for newspapers and magazines.
THE LANDSCAPE
The use of paint and color and shape to describe a horozontal landscape.
THE HERON
This Audobon painting of a Blue Heron found on kayak excursions on the Charles River. The artist's perfection of rendering each bird in detail.
THE MUSIC CD
I love listening to music in the car especially my kid's music and my father's era of music.
THE ZINNIA
A southwest flower -- brilliant hot colors, tiny petals -- great in vases. A seed package shows the promise of planting. A button, monoprint and vase with a real flower completes the story.
THE NATURE TRIP
Photo of one of many nature trips in national parks when the kids were young -- campfires, hikes, camping and cooking outside -- playing in the dirt -- my kindred nature spirit kid, Ben.
THE SKY
Interpretation of blue sky and white clouds through collage which represents layer upon layer of atmosphere.
THE CHEESE BOX
I like collecting decorative boxes -- this one from France -- name "Coeur de Dame" translates to "Heart of the Women" -- memories of many picnics in Europe of French bread and Brie cheese.
THE WAVY LINE
Another interpretion of waves thru squiggle and color.
THE ETCHING
This etching made for holiday card with bits of treasures attached with quote "Happiness is Love -- Love is Friends -- Friends is Christmas".
THE BUTTON
A diary page -- a bit of life -- of travel -- of planning -- a special button found in a sewing shop.
THE GIFT OF LOVE
An etching from a friend. I love gold and silver on a chinese red background.
THE WISHBONE
A real chicken bone meant to bring good luck.
THE VAN GOGH
Taking a famous painting and replicating the wallpaper pattern background. The peasant women reminds me of a mother figure.
THE BIRD STATUE
An ethnic altar constructed from Thai clothing and aGuatemalan carved bird mimicking items found in the Sante Fe Folk Art Museum.
THE WOMB
The representation of the color of flesh painted in a living room of ours in NH. Everyone felt so safe and warm as if they were back in their mother's womb. A skin color.
THE FLOATING BODY
Representing me suspended in water or space.
THE MORMONS
Salt Lake City Temple Square visited by our family, witnessing yet another kind of religion and belief. Statement of how misunderstood or secretive religions can be. We have Morman friends in SLC.
THE BUTTE
Another piece on my favorite state, New Mexico, and the raw dramatice landscape.
THE INTERPRETATION
Capturing nature in abstraction and color and texture.
THE CARP
I love fish, particularly goldfish. Especially the Japanese ponds filled with these fish are both beautiful and repulsive in size.
THE SENSITIVE NATURE
A painting about myself. Sensitivity, my best characteristic and worst nightmare. My parents protecting me from violent/sexual movies as a child.
THE CLOUDS
The nature of clouds, translucent and opague at the same time with painted rock of storm cloud. "Light as a cloud -- heavy as a rock".
THE EMBOIDERY
I grew up with Mother emboidering pillows and needlepointing so I was very drawn to ethnic handiwork. Another favorite flower, pansies, sewn into a Guatemalan blouse.
THE SWIM BOX
I was thinking of layers in water, me underwater with an interpretation of patterns on top of the water above me.Where do I fit in?
THE FRUSTRATING MOMENT
A feeling expressed through abstract art -- tension and anger -- a block to happiness.
THE LANES
A rendition of swim lanes at the YMCA where I swim everyday using celadon blue.
THE COVER-UP
Using woodblock printing on rice paper taped to the New York Times represents media cover-up of the facts and only writing rhetoric and bias. Also an altar to handmade work all over world and low wages.
THE PAINT BRUSH
I like objects turned into other objects. I also like bright white with sky blue.
THE BEAUTY
An altar made with a 'cactus girl' birthday card, real cactus and Guatemalan carved shelf.
THE MANGO
A monoprint of fruit with shades of color and shape on grid with cloud. The mango reminds me of Margot, my child's babysitter who loved to do my art projects and died of cancer.
THE STAMPS
Stamp collection of favorite animals and where I have seen them in the world.
THE DAYTIMER
The use of Sara Midda's gentle art about gardening and her quote about toiling in the earth and getting jewels (radishesout of our own garden. A little piece of daily life found in my notes on Utah destinations.
THE EMERGENCY CARD
The airplane is primary source of travelling all over the world or to see my family. Arabic writing reminds us of 9/11 and risk on planes.
THE WORRY DOLLS
Rows of Guatemalan dolls all lined up are symbols of humanity.
THE TEA PARTY
This piece represents the formal English tea parties, the child's pretend tea party, the dress-up womenfs tea party -- the fancy china, little sandwiches, sugar cubes and tongs, and delicious petit fours.
THE QUEEN CAKE
Little French figurines used to hide inside a cake and the one who found it gets a prize. The zen state of handpainting each figure is another way of looking at an object.
