bottle

I never met my grandfather, but "re-"realized he was a tailor and I am the only one of later generations to work with my hands and fabrics. By placing his letters written as a young soldier during WW1 “in conversation” with my fabrics (fabric remnants, threads or fabrics/materials I've found or used) on this intimate scale, I hope to capture something about the connection of hands, hearts and DNA.  We all have lineage stories that run through our lives, whether we are awake to it or not. Creating this has also generated the question of whether this is a way to “heal backwards in time?” Mixed media 10" X 10"   $275

I never met my grandfather, but "re-"realized he was a tailor and I am the only one of later generations to work with my hands and fabrics. By placing his letters “in conversation” with my fabrics (fabric remnants, threads or fabrics/materials I've found or used) on this intimate scale, I hope to capture something about the connection of hands, hearts and DNA between us.  We all have lineage stories that run through our lives, whether we are awake to it or not. Creating this has also generated the question of whether this is a way to “heal backwards in time?” Mixed media 11" x 11" framed   $330 framed

Part of the Message in a Bottle series, which explores the themes of connection, isolation and healing as inspired by 100 letters written in 1918-1919 by a grandfather I never met. (see below) 20" x 20" Mixed media on wood panel, incorporating acrylic, graphite, and fragments of letters in which my grandfather repeatedly implored his wife - my grandmother - to write more.  War is a misery shattered into a million pieces -- that's the truth that radiates out from these letters. I was particularly struck by the poetry and vulnerability of this line, "a letter from you would take out of me the blue." A soldier's hunger for connection is poignant. It's also a reminder that the sense of isolation and absence of connection can befalls us at any time, such as during a pandemic or under the stresses of everyday life. I try to convey the blue as well as the sunny joy of possibilities for reconnection or redemption. $695

Part of the Message in a Bottle series, which explores the themes of connection, isolation and healing as inspired by 100 letters written in 1918-1919 by a grandfather I never met. (see below) 20" x 20" Mixed media on wood panel, incorporating acrylic, graphite, and fragments of letters in which my grandfather repeatedly implored his wife - my grandmother - to write more.  War is a misery shattered into a million pieces -- that's the truth that radiates out from these letters. I was particularly struck by the poetry and vulnerability of this line, "a letter from you would take out of me the blue." A soldier's hunger for connection was poignant. It's also a reminder that the sense of isolation and absence of connection can befalls us at any time, such as during a pandemic or under the stresses of everyday life. I try to convey the blue as well as the sunny joy of possibilities for reconnection or redemption. $695

Part of the Message in a Bottle series, which explores the themes of connection, isolation and healing as inspired by 100 letters written in 1918-1919 by a grandfather I never met. (see below) 20" x 20" Mixed media on wood panel, incorporating acrylic, graphite, and fragments of letters in which my grandfather repeatedly implored his wife - my grandmother - to write more.  War is a misery shattered into a million pieces -- that's the truth that radiates out from these letters. I was particularly struck by the poetry and vulnerability of this line, "a letter from you would take out of me the blue." A soldier's hunger for connection was poignant. It's also a reminder that the sense of isolation and absence of connection can befalls us at any time, such as during a pandemic or under the stresses of everyday life. I try to convey the blue as well as the sunny joy of possibilities for reconnection or redemption. $695

Part of the Message in a Bottle series. 30" x 30" Mixed media on wood panel, incorporating acrylic, graphite, and parts of letters written by a young solder to his wife during WWI.  The man was my grandfather (whom I never met). In most letters, he implored my grandmother to write more. This sub-series was inspired by a phrase in one of these letters. The hunger for connection is universal, whether as a soldier in war, during a global pandemic or simply, under the stresses of everyday life. In the work, I try to convey the blue of our longing as well as the sunny joy of possibilities for re-connection and renewal. $1100

6" x 6" / 1.5" deep Part of the mini Message in a Bottle series - a small painting with a mighty presence. It can stand alone or live together in harmony with one, two, 6 or more!

6" x 6" / 1.5" deep Part of the mini Message in a Bottle series - a small painting with a mighty presence. It can stand alone or live together in harmony with one, two, 6 or more!

This exploration into the connections across families, time, generations or memories is part of my Message in a Bottle series. Layers of fragments of postcards, photographs, letters as well as paper, tissue paper, graphite and acrylic create a new moment for all the connections to converge in a new way. This one has a luminous, back-lit feel, which parallels the light that can shine through one's family lineage - the kind that  propels each individual forward while anchored in their past.   16" x 16" Mixed Media on Cradled Wood Panel.

12" x 12" mixed media on wood panel. The Message in a Bottle series explores connections across people, generations, time and memories. Layers of acrylic, along with fragments of letters, postcards, photographs and fabric produce a texture and reveal a message long hidden in a communication from the past. SOLD