About Me

 

In the early 1990s, while living in the Midwest, I discovered chenille stems—pipe cleaners—and was drawn to their texture and color. Since then, I’ve developed a unique art form I call “stemming,” weaving these stems into still lifes, landscapes, and sculptures that explore texture and dimensionality in color with limited palettes.

My work creates dramatic tableaux bursting with color inspired by Fauvism, while also embracing simplicity through lines and shapes that form familiar yet mysterious icons. These symbols—some ancient, some modern—are shared secrets inviting viewers to uncover layered stories. From afar, my pieces often look pixelated, with stems rising off the canvas like code; up close, the texture softens and reveals the narrative’s details.

The process is deeply physical—my hands bear the marks of twisting wire and shaping materials. My technique draws on folk-art traditions like Victorian hair art, tinsel paintings, and 19th-century sailors’ woolies, where everyday objects are transformed into intimate, soulful art. Though my career has been outside the arts, this creative work remains my personal way to express my vision and experience through a medium and method I created.

Influenced by artists like Picasso, Alexander Calder, David Hockney, Liza Lou and the Fauves, my stemming balances naïve charm with sophistication, connecting history, emotion, and innovation in every piece.