Not long ago, I was chosen for a feature in an online magazine called, ‘On the Easel’, which showcased art works in progress. I found this amusing, since I usually don’t use an easel. Normally I paint on a flat surface, unless I am going for a dripping look (and even then I lay it flat after the drips get to the length I want.) The work accepted was definitely in progress. I was drawing a blank on what to do next. It was in the autumn, when I was just closed my outdoor studio for the season. It was not until the following spring when once again in my outdoor studio that inspiration struck.

Here is the final—MORNING MIST, 24 by 48 inches --available for sale.

In the before times, my art was shown and sold in galleries and boutiques, all which have since closed. Much of art work sales have moved into the online space. But it is still nice to see things in person, especially for those pieces for which a picture does not fully convey the texture or dimension of a piece. I have been fortunate to now have my work at Painted Tree Boutiques in Kildeer, IL. Here is part of the collection I’m showing, featuring the healing color of yellow which increases fun, humor, lightness, intellect, personal power, logic, and creativity.

I’ve often wondered about the distinction of art versus craft. This conundrum seems most obvious with creations made with fibers and/or textiles, especially if these creations add a functional component beyond being decorative. Is a quilt on a wall ‘art’, but the same quilt on a bed ‘craft’? Is one from an artist, the other from an artisan, or ‘just’ a DIY crafter? Does how you classify it reflect value? Does gender play a role?

Most fiber creations, like quilts, pillows, afghans, and other practical items have traditionally been made by women. While fine art collectors may not consider these ‘art’, I belief that these were the first artists and artisans that brought color and joy into everyday living spaces. I build on this heritage with what I call fiber paintings, made from repurposed threads, trim, laces, yarn, or other fiber based items sewn together. The result is a one-of-a-kind washable textile which can be used as a lightweight wall hanging or made into pillows, or used in other ways limited only by imagination.

I find that my preferences for which media to work with varies with the seasons. In the cold, dark, winter months, I am drawn to the warmth of fibers. The process for my fiber paintings involves gathering and sorting the colors, mostly discards from family and friends, or even deconstructing garments. Choosing colors and textures, and their placement, is similar to how a painter chooses paint for an abstract work. They are sewed using water soluble stabilizer, then hand washed.  Fiber paintings finished as pillows are available for sale exclusively at Painted Tree Boutiques in Kildeer, IL.

I focus on abstract art because of its ability to kindle innovation and creativity, a natural bridge from my education and experience as a public health scientist. Neuroscience suggests that abstract art, compared to representative art, encourages new neural pathways, stimulated by the brain’s attempts to recognize and identify patterns. Out of all of the types of painting, abstract art may be most likely to inspire mixed opinions (or even snide commentary). You may not think you like abstract art… but your brain is saying otherwise.  It turns out that abstract art can provide an escape from reality, exercise your brain, and help you think more creatively!

Abstract art is more dependent on one’s particular inner state at a very specific moment. So different people can see widely different things looking at the same thing, at different times.  In this acrylic and encaustic painting, called FIERCE, what do you see? To purchase, contact [email protected].



To learn more about abstract art and neuroscience, check out this reference. (Aviv V. What does the brain tell us about abstract art? Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2014;8:85.)

With my art, I question societal tendencies to discard the old as irrelevant and useless. I am inspired by the potential of an object, especially one whose beauty and purpose are considered past its expiration date, so I am often drawn to repurposing cast-off items. Over the years, I’ve collected ‘stuff’ with the intent that ‘One of these days, I’ll use it for something’. Fortunately, I’ve had the storage space to do that. I may have been prescient, since that stockpile served me well during quarantine lockdown. I work with various media, including acrylics, encaustics, found objects, fibers, textiles, jewelry, gemstones and reclaimed wood. I call my approach SuGEE™, an art form that exemplifies the need to reassess what we value. The word’s origin is an acronym from: Sustainable, Grok, Expression, Experience.

Sustainable: Using, wherever possible, materials that were discarded or used for another purpose, especially machine-made, mass produced items.
Grok: To understand intuitively. Coined by Robert Heinlein in the 1961 science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land.
Expression: Making known my thoughts and feelings by transforming objects.
Experience: Years of personal and professional experience help to see the possibilities in what may have been broken, lost or abandoned.

A prime example of this approach are my bead mosaics, which start with a wood base, and uses beads, often vintage, in abstract designs. The result is rich with variation and texture, and brings new life to once cherished things.

       KREATIVI 
         

KONTENTMENT

Artists often find new ways to organize and represent the world. My creative endeavors began with textiles and fibers, and it is this experience which inspired me to adapt the textile dyeing technique, batik, into painting on reclaimed wood--a process I call wapik. Wax and acrylic paint are applied and removed in a series of steps. First, there is an acrylic underpainting, which is then topped with a different wax painting, followed by final coat of acrylic paint. Once the final coat of paint is dry, the wax (along with the final layer of paint atop it) is scraped off.

This technique involves numerous possibilities, involving colors and designs of the underpainting, the wax, and the color combinations involved in the final layer. This process is indicative of my focus on abstract art to stimulate new ways of thinking and connecting.

This creation is the first completed piece using wapik.

ITS POSSIBLE

27x48 inches

sold to a private collection

I have always had creative outlets, making things with paint and textiles and paper, etc. Halloween costumes have been a favorite. But I have been fascinated with science since childhood, and that has been my area of focus in education and work experience. Following a successful career as a public health and food scientist, I made a career pivot to focus on my lifelong art practice professionally. As a health scientist, I recognize the necessity of creative endeavors for optimal well-being, and decided to practice what I preached about leading a more balanced-brain approach between logic and analysis with intuition and creativity. My artistic persona comes from disassociating from the analytical mind and suppressing ego, to allow emotion to manifest subconscious imagery. Basically, I try to stop thinking and just be in the present moment. I paint what I feel, not what I see.

I am inspired by the potential of an object, especially one whose beauty and purpose are considered past its expiration date so I am often drawn to repurposing cast-off items into something extraordinary. With my art, I question societal tendencies to discard the old as irrelevant and useless.

Over the years, I’ve collected ‘stuff’ with the intent that ‘One of these days, I’ll use it for something’. Fortunately, I’ve had the storage space to do that. I may have been prescient, since that stockpile served me well during quarantine lockdown :-).

I have had a fondness for fabric ever since I started sewing at the age of seven. I’ve made many wonderful things, but this quilt is my favorite. FISH FOUND TREASURE is a quilted fabric with embroidered fish, who found the jewels from a spilled treasure chest and made them their own.

FISH FOUND TREASURE

44 by 46 inches