I want to thank Kate Reid at the Royal Artisan in Baker City, Oregon, for featuring me as the October artist in her gallery. She has created a beautiful, welcoming space, I was happy to show my artwork in. There was beer (and wine) served on First Friday, and I spoke with so many nice people who were thoughtful and encouraging.
My show is titled ‘Yes, There Was Beer.’ I started these paintings by referencing my mom’s old photographs from horse trail rides with family and friends in the mountains of Eastern Oregon. In my artist statement from the show, I mentioned a few jumping-off points that this series provided for me to move forward with. My Tall Grass Paper-Cuts have grown from this place.
What I mean by Tall Grass is the shape of the clumps of cheat grass growing locally in my high desert climate. I’ve been translating grasses into stencils I freehand cut for many years. I incorporate a grass-like shape in almost all of my paintings. I currently have four varieties of grass masking symbols that I mix and match.
Creating layers in my paintings requires a significant amount of work with paper, which may not be apparent when viewing a finished piece. I’ve recently been working on creating a shift in the shape of a painting by using my stenciling and masking shapes.
When I cut stencils from different types of paper with my scissors and X-Acto knife, I create handmade objects that I can spray through, trace, reuse, or modify. I appreciate how the Papercuts are bringing my interests in collage, symbol development, and paperwork to the forefront.
Grasses used to be small pieces of a whole. Now they’re front and center as finished paintings. My Papercuts are still very new. I’m working on what they will become.
A series about exploring plus an art show