INTERPLAY:
The way in which two or more things have an effect on each other.
The ripple effect of interaction fuels my passion to create artwork to manipulate, inspect, or reassemble. By shifting the boundaries of contact with sculpture, interplay can be experienced and observed as voluntary participation alters the aesthetic experience of the individual, the next participants, and the sculptural display.
Beginnings & Influence
Simply put, I am fascinated by our interconnection with all things. True interplay between individuals with and through the objects I create — people who may never meet — reflects the wider impact we have on each other and on Mother Earth as each of us experiences our time with her. How you interact with a sculpture as well as the condition and position you leave it in becomes the first impression of the next person.
Deeply influenced by the generous teachings of Noreen E. Saddleback of the Samson Cree Nation and Elder Bart Thomas, Splatsin Band, Guardian and Knowledge Keeper of the Secwepemc First Nation, my art respectfully explores Nature for the arcane wisdom she holds.
Flipstone Genesis
My sculpture stone is the result of a metamorphosis. Like the transformation to a butterfly inside the chrysalis, the rock undergoes a physical restructuring when the correct environmental conditions are present, and have much to teach us in our present time openness, flexibility, communication, imagination, and change.
My innovative ‘flipstone’ sculptures are multiposition, interactive art works, that can be lifted, turned and reset in several balanced positions. This interaction ignites the healing properties of the stone. Turning the sculptures echoes both its transformation and the handling of the stones during carving, while abstract forms stir the imagination with vague impressions of the familiar.
While carving stone, I am deeply aware of the release of energy stored in the stones over millennia. My free-form style of carving is a co-creation process with the stone, during which my role is to help the stone take a new form to express itself. I see myself as merely a channel for creative energy to flow through.
Emergence Series Paintings
Expressions of the final stage of the metamorphosis - emergence in a new form! This series reveals the energy of the stone that I feel during the carving process and that is available to you when you interact with the sculptures. All textures on the canvas created using rock dust and chips from the carving studio.
Lava Series Paintings
Exploring a type of catastrophic change during the rock cycle of experience, the Lava Series represents the 11 phases of spiritual growth and transformation. The intent is to present the non-sentient experience of rock changing form as relatable to our sentient spiritual experience of monumental change. Stone debris from the carving studio is used in the texture and smoke of this series.
Landscape Paintings
Recorded memories of the high mountain roads explored in the search for stone to carve in the mountains surrounding Revelstoke, BC. The roads in the paintings are paved with stone and mica, reflecting on the purpose of the journey and symbolic of the carving to come.
Pedestal Sculpture
It took 10 years to realize a dream of harvesting stone directly from the land to carve. Understanding the tectonics (earth processes) that form soapstone, locating and respectfully harvesting the raw stone and the original locations of the rocks all inform the creation process of my abstract sculptures.
Stone Sculpture Care
My sculptures have highly polished surface that can be vulnerable to scratches. To fix abrasions, simply massage food grate oil (grapeseed is best into the area using a soft cloth. Let absorb overnight then buff in the morning. For cleaning, use gentle soap and water—no harsh cleaners or synthetic fabrics. A soft cotton cloth may also be used to gently buff the stone to increase shine.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, Columbia Basin Trust, and BC Arts Council.