For me, Collage is about the arrangement and juxtaposition of disparate elements into a new connected whole. Each piece tells a story that its parts alone would not be able to impart. I love this discovery. 

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Also, I am attracted to the concept of Mottainai, or making an effort to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible in my life. So, that naturally extends into my art making too. Bringing new life to discarded ‘junk’. 

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My collages begin with scraps of paper that I’ve selected from my files. Colors and textures that work together. Then I begin to add other elements that play on the theme. An old label, ephemera, scrap of lace or photograph, something found on the road. I work on several collages simultaneously in my studio - as they tend to feed off of each other. When I’m not in my studio, I keep a collage sketchbook, where I create in-the instant collages with bits of collected scraps left over from my studio projects. I’m always looking for those moments of time to create! I draw inspiration from my family history, my travels and hikes, and my sketchbooks.

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The thrill of using one object to represent another is what attracts me to this medium. I prefer to focus on composition and how the eye moves through the space of a piece. I have a few different series that I move back and forth between. The Tea Cup series, the Box Series, the Vintage Series and Paper Series. I am currently working on a 3D Object Series. As an artist, I constantly want to try something new, expanding my horizons inwards and outwards.