purpose
as an artist

My life and work as an artist involves a variety of relationships that I explore for meaning and insight. The work of other artists both inspires and challenges my development; I collaborate with mentors and people of all ages and abilities, in my studio art practice and as an art therapist. People involved in the viewing or presentation of the art also influence my work. Even the casual viewer is someone that I seek to involve and I often encourage interactions through dialogue, activity, or shared sensations. As a literal example, the simple integration of mirrors into the artwork often makes it possible to form an interaction that brings the image of the viewer into the surface. Integrating materials that engage participation highlights another distinct relationship that is present in my work: a person's relationship with materials and objects.

My own relationship with materials covers a wide variety of media and I often investigate parallels between the characteristics of a particular medium as it may compare or contrast with an individual's personality. For example, the inherent properties of paper, clay, or bronze have qualities and dynamics that - like behaviors, emotions or other manifestation of the soul - can be as unpredictable as they are clear indicators of predisposed traits, transformations or constants of character.

In navigating the dynamics of my relationships with people and materials, the context of these art engagements inform my own relationship with society. The artworks are a direct reflection of my own image. However, it is also a form that allows others to project their own wisdom or insecurities. In order to more productively engage the empathic relationship that exists in an artwork, I remain conscious of how the visual symbols and cultural contexts coordinate with how the work is shared. As certainly as someone else's personal impressions may define their experience of the artwork, so am I responsible for my own perceptions in how I handle my personal image or, in the case of figurative work, that of the model - always, a delicate and ever-present balance of subjectivity and objectification. This art-based dialogue can be found in artworks that have a specific, or general, base of empathy as manifest in a self-contained artwork or as it is extended through community based-projects, sociopolitical engagements, and my professional development.

In my awareness of these relationships and their combined effects I cultivate my identity as an artist. My self-exploration can most literally be found in the form of self-portraits but also, in a more subtle manner, within a variety of other media - particularly drawings and in my living art practices as they reflect on my own body's relation to sacred objects. In the process of creating an artwork, I commit to media in a way that involves metaphysical and contemplative practices. This devotional state provides feedback for integrating my personal insights with a practice that provides meaning in my life and purpose - to be shared and appreciated, whenever possible.