I fell in love with the magic of creating things at an early age. I made my first doll when I was about nine years old (see image at left), and I became obsessed with bringing little people to life. I scoured the house looking for materials to turn into dolls, using everything from Kleenex to old socks to pipe cleaners. The same impulse that inspired me to make colonies of dolls when I was a child drives me to create mixed media sculptures today. I want people to react emotionally to my figures, to make a connection to them that is similar to the connection I feel when I make the figures.
I grew up in a house filled with textiles made by women I'm related to. My mother is a quilter, my grandmother is an embroiderer, and we are part of a long line of skilled needlewomen. My mother taught me how to sew and embroider when I was a child. Sewing, especially hand sewing, is an important part of my life. Working at a fine fabric store in my twenties, I fell in love with luxury fabrics, and with the artists and designers who came through the store. My work reflects my love of textiles, and respect for the artists and craftspeople who make and use them. I believe that using traditional textile techniques, in conventional or unconventional ways, connects me to centuries of textile artists and artisans.
I use hand sewing and other techniques to create my figures. Most figures begin with a wire and buckram armature, layered with cotton batting and fabric. I needle sculpt my pieces, using needle and thread to create the basic shape of each figure. I often incorporate found objects, both natural and man made, into my work. While my primary media is fabric, I use kiln cast glass and air drying paper clay to make faces or masks for some figures. I enjoy learning new techniques and using different media.
I work intuitively. I am often inspired to make a figure by the fabric, natural objects, or other materials that I find. My influences include ancient fertility figures, traditional textiles and the work of contemporary fiber and doll artists. My work is informed by my love of ancient myths and the writings of contemporary fantasy authors, especially Charles De Lint. While many of the forms I create are inspired by ancient votive and goddess sculptures, my goal is not to reproduce ancient figures of power, but to continue the tradition. My figures introduce a sense of ancient mystery to everyday life.