Picture a little white cinder block beach cabin on an island at the tip of a spit of land with a bay on one side and Hale’s Pass, some of Puget Sound’s fastest waters rushing by on the other side. I grew up living on Lane Spit Lummi Island in that cabin where our yard was sand and rocks and waves. Yes, it was almost in the water...right on the edge at sea level.
I have lived my life since those days “on the edge” both physically and emotionally. Claustrophobia sets in whenever I am not near coastal waters. That is why much of my work is about having the sensation of one foot on land and one in the water with the smell of salt and fresh clean sea air swelling my lungs. It is a place where I a feel most free and alive; that place of mystery located at sea level.
My studio work begins with plein air sketches and thumbnails. Thenbecomes a composite of images that stir my memories of “coming of age” in a place that was wild and free where everything was wet and liquid, even the sky. I am interested in place. I am interested in being a steward of my planet and especially coastal beaches.