Artist’s Statement

I plant and tend residential sized gardens that bring an aesthetic of “domesticated wild” to the design. I choose mostly native plants to enhance the habitat for birds, butterflies and insects, but I also plant non-native species that will not overtake the natives. I aim to achieve a richness of plant diversity while maintaining a sense of order, peace, and beauty. Clients collaborate in envisioning the garden, and the craftsman who install the job bring their own specialized insights to the job. It is rewarding to plant a new garden and see it grow and change through the seasons and years, and it is amazing to see how quickly the birds and pollinators find and enjoy it.

My hand-sewn quilts are made from wool, cotton, and linen. Recently I have worked with heavy weight linen, piecing it together in ways that seem to me to express harmony and balance. I will ask myself what colors does this need or not need, and in what proportions? I adjust the pattern as I work. These large works are intended for mounting on the wall, and I leave the edges raw, a loose edge around a sewn field. Old American quilt patterns are often a starting point. Communities like the Amish in Pennsylvania and the Midwest, and Gee’s Bend in Alabama created endless interpretations of quilt forms that are always inspirational. I am also inspired by modernist textile artists like Anni Albers and Sophie Taeuber-Arp.

My most recent paintings are abstract and often monochromatic, made of oil on linen. Many of the colors are inspired from the garden; and the sawtooth shape comes from a traditional quilt form.