Yellow Studio Residents

For my time at Yellow Studio, I intend to further my explorations purposefully incorporating materials from my surroundings into my artwork. Specifically, I would like to work on a series inspired by the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. I plan to use paper-making techniques, printing processes, and alternative photographic techniques to create artworks inspired by thoughtful observation of the reservation. Having a devoted period of time for exploration, documentation, and creation of a new series of mixed media collages would allow me to develop and push my work in this new direction.

Observing, noticing, and reflecting are the fundamental elements of my practice. They are the inspiration for each composition. I am particularly drawn to the unexpected lines and textures that I encounter in my surroundings. These inspire my collages and mixed-media landscapes. A mountain's contour, the colors of a sunset, or the striations of a rock inspire me to take a photo, sketch or rub it directly on paper. My studies serve as visual references as I create larger compositions using repurposed papers, handmade papers, and older artwork. More recently I have become interested in finding ways to convey a stronger sense of place in my landscapes. I have done this by incorporating alternative photographic processes like cyanotype and printing with found materials into my artwork.

Each series begins with a limited color palette that unifies the shapes, textures, and lines. I work on many compositions simultaneously as I prepare and select materials. Paper or paint is placed intuitively until each artwork feels balanced. As I work, my process becomes more intuitive and responsive to the play of textures, colors, and edges within each landscape. As a result, viewers are left wondering whether the final
compositions depict an internal or external landscape or if they are imagined spaces. With each piece, subtle variations in edges, textures, and layers of paper captivate the viewer, creating moments of thoughtful reflection.