These mixed media pieces combine elements of collage and encaustic or pigment in beeswax. The collage elements come from published text, magazines, sometimes from drawings or newspapers. I am attracted to both images of nature and artifacts that reflect a cultural context. I am fascinated at how the most horrific stories in the newspaper are sometimes illustrated by beautifully haunting images. (continued below)
My collages can be organized around formal concerns and relatively logical thoughts, but often, I find I am drawn to juxtapose quite disparate images and to invite a certain serendipitous element of chance connections in a viewer’s response, depending on their own experiences. I cherish that invitation to discover hidden secrets not found on the first viewing.
Although the final results essentially appear quite abstract, hidden within are multiple layers of veiled content. Sometimes phantoms emerge and juxtaposed elements have unexpected results. In this process my goal is to achieve a balance of control and chance imagery.
