54 3/8" x 47 1/8" x 1" — maple, poplar, walnut, cherry, redwood, purple heart, teak, Spanish cedar, African mahogany, plywood, adhesive, clear acrylic
Lumber stripped on table saw, smoothed on planer, diamond-shapes cut on miter saw, edges rounded with router and sanded, glued and clamped to plywood substrates, blocks arranged improvisationally; all handling of wood was done by artist
Pieced
2017
Private collection, Texas
Quilts inspired this project as the title references the traditional method of stitching small fabric pieces to create a whole, designed in ornamental patterns.
I'm drawn to the resourcefulness of quilters past who repurposed fabric scraps and constructed something utilitarian that's just as pleasing to behold. More than that, each quilt is an original, relying on the remnants at hand and the patience and skill of the quilter.
With Pieced, I had the opportunity to showcase the bountiful qualities of natural woods in all their many hues and unique characteristics. Nine wood types are presented in their natural state, no color additives were used. Pieced is organized in a repeating 9-block diamond pattern on thin plywood substrates. Like a quilt, plywood is a sandwich of layers and stronger for it.
This project was pivotal to my transition to working with textiles and repurposed materials. It opened my eyes to cloth and an art practice with intention.
7.27.2022 — Selected for SAQA’s annual open call for the online gallery New Collection Additions by the Collection Review Panel — Alice Beasley, Linda Colsh, Marvin Fletcher, and Carolyn Mazloomi
2.08.2018 — Awarded Best in Show at ArtSpace Gallery Transformation exhibition in Round Rock, Texas; exhibit to run February 8 - March 29, 2018
Quintessence, 2017, 46”h x 14”w x 10”d, plywood, wool, alpaca, nylon, cotton
Quintessence (detail)
Nature was the visual imagery that guided this experimental project. I thought of landscapes with rolling hills, wind rustling the leaves, clouds drifting overhead, water flowing and shaping the earth, and even of fire as renewing life. As the project came together, these thoughts were condensed to 'fire, air, water and earth' which represent four of the five basic elements in ancient philosophies. And the term quintessence literally means 'the fifth element' in Latin.
Our natural environment consists of more than just that which are tangible. I think it's inherently spiritual as well — even otherworldly at times.
Metamorphosis, 2012, found tree branch, tung oil
Vulnerable, 2012, found tree branch, metal hardware, tung oil
Untitled (Round), 2012, walnut, maple, tung oil, glue
Canopy, 2012, clay, glaze, wood, metal, tung oil, glue
Untitled (Vase), 2012, found tree branch, tung oil
Character Lines, 2011, plywood, acrylic, glue
