I am a studio artist who specializes in sculptural basketry, creating large-scale conceptual forms by blending basketweaving techniques with contemporary practices. Research and immersive international travel are integral to expanding my perspective and approach and provide resonance between my European-American ancestry and the weaving techniques that emerge from various geographies. My sculptures connect the individual to the cosmos through configurations of circles, intersecting circles, and spirals that provide a sense of wholeness and calm. Spirals mirror the growth that happens in nature, the body, our environment, and even the galaxy. I am also interested in the process of subtraction, deconstructing, or finding the skeletal forms of the spiral for the purpose of exploring belonging, connection, and resilience. 

 

My practice is rooted in connecting with the earth and the rhythm of the seasons. There is a year-long process to working with my primary material of 6-10 foot chromatic varieties of willow that I grow and harvest locally utilizing sustainable practices.  I am drawn by the medicinal, aromatic, and visual beauty of the material. With practiced patience I regulate my breathing into a smooth, rhythmic inhale and exhale with focus on strength and consistency. The tension of my hands, the way I am leaning, and the nature of the material as I weave and sculpt ultimately impact the final visual expression and contours of the work. I include both tightly woven, sturdy weavings and fragile, tenuous elements that play with duality in a singular piece.

 

Pleasure, play and curiosity guide me and every sculpture begins with a simple question—what basketry technique would be pleasurable for my body and mind? I listen to the willow with my hands, creating a dance where I’m tuning into the place where my  curiosity and pleasure meet the willow’s capacity. Spiral motifs are viscerally satisfying for me. I see spirals as symbols of resilience, energy, and growth. The spiral weave process, continually adding singular pieces into the pathway, serve as a metaphor that draws different lines from my life together into one path leading me forward. Asa symbol, the spiral connects me with the world, the universe, and hope. I create to be part of ancestral legacy where weaving natural fibers was a part of daily life and a way to honor the resilience of nature.