artist’s statement

Ahokan Reservoir collage in a private collection
Ahokan Reservoir collage in a private collection
artist's statement

There’s a transformative power in collaging with paper that always excites and amazes me. As I work on each collage I find a deep connection to the subject, whether it is a landscape, an animal or a person, a love develops. In this work I explore the ethereal, yet eternal nature of life, which lives in the sacredness and beauty of the moment. 

The paper creates a world where we are all made of the same material—the mountains, ocean, people, animals, rock, sky—all made of the same molecules. It manifests the connection that exists, making the inter-connection of all life visible even while engaging in the vast mystery.

Each collage is built up on the canvas using many individual pieces of paper that I cut or tear by hand. I use many types of paper including plain brown paper, newspaper, tissue paper, origami paper, and handmade Japanese, Nepalese and Korean papers. A matte medium is brushed on to each layer, making the paper adhere to the canvas and sealing it. 

This type of collage offered up a medium to me that was a convergence of every other medium I had worked in. Finding it was a revelation and a wonder and a gift.