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The main themes of my shows are about preserving the environment and the getting the viewer to acknowledge the moods of the each season. It is more than just the temperature. How few people use all their senses to see, feel, hear and smell the differences of each month...to allow oneself to be swept up in the colors of each season.
It was very interesting; while planning for this show, to be reminded how large a part "nature" has played in my work. Thinking of this as a retrospective, I went through my studio pulling out forgotten pieces. Some stood the test of time, others were fodder for newer work. As a mostly collage artist I have an embarrassingly large supply of "stuff" to embellish my canvasses and nothing goes to waste from scraps of paper and cloth to yarns or beads.
As I personally think of the rose as the queen of the garden, it has been my symbol both of ultimate beauty, serenity, and for the passing of time. From hopeful buds to fading petals there is a wealth of beauty to them all.
As using nature as a theme has been ever present, reviewers have always noted the abstract influence of color and form attributed to my natural surroundings. Yet, what was for me, in the past, a theme, an influence, a muse, has now become much more of a cause. I believe I have a duty and a forum to inform the population to take stock of their surroundings.
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