Artist Statement

I am a multimedia artist working predominately in encaustic and cold wax. However, I like to explore many materials. My main inspiration comes from the agrarian and coal mining culture of Appalachia, where my ancestors have lived for generations. My experiences and personal history have provided me with a firsthand view of communities, the natural world, and the culture of a specific region. I find inspiration everyday from memories, history, industry and nature.

My process is intuitive. I like building layers of history in my work then excavating the surface and building back. Many times I include found materials, collage, prints, drawings and mark making until I reach my desired results.  My work goes through many changes in my process. Sometimes my work has recognizable subject matter, other times I choose to eliminate, refine and simplify to an abstract form. I like rich complex surfaces that can be achieved with the many layers of both cold wax and encaustic.

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