On Time. And Space.

It has been a minute, as they say. For nearly a year now, my website has been sitting on the sidelines, collecting dust, as I began the process of creating a new body of work in earnest last spring. This was kind of a necessity, as it has taken time to build up enough finished pieces and concepts to justify a whole new website. Until that happened, any updates wouldn’t have really accomplished much, hence the dust collecting.

In many ways, this has had me feeling like I’m getting to be an Artist for the first time in my life. Which is not to say I don’t believe I have been an Artist during all the years leading up to this, but that I am now enjoying the gift of being able to try something entirely new on every level. These are new materials that require new skills. I am also experiencing the benefits of a slower pace, one that requires a commitment to patience, exploration, and thoughtful consideration. After being an Artist for most of my life, I am still discovering entirely new methods, tools, and expressions.

Someone recently asked me, “Why now?” as in, why did I decide it was time to dive back into studio work, build a new collection, and have another show? The most fundamental answer to that question is because I can—because I am alive and healthy and breathing. And I am an Artist. Beyond that, it has much to do with the decision we made almost exactly six years ago to uproot our life from California and transplant it to Wisconsin.

In leaving California, I had to let go of many (maybe most) of the circumstances that made my work possible and relatively easy. I was close to many in my creative community and had access to all kinds of spaces for shows, retreats, and gatherings. California was also a desirable place for people to visit; it wasn’t terribly difficult to entice people to the land of near-constant sunshine and blue skies. Simply put, it didn’t take much to tap into a network of people, opportunities, and energy that offered all kinds of possibilities for creative projects and endeavors.

Before moving, I looked forward to establishing myself in a new place and bringing my talents, skills, and artistic experiences to a new community. While I have written and published two books since I got here, I don’t feel like I have really provided what I was envisioning when I imagined myself in our new city. I still have a deep longing to create an experience that centers on a body of work—something that is equal parts ephemeral and tangible, a unique and memorable gathering that centers on physical works of art.

I have held on to this vision for more than five years now—through the move and getting settled, through my dad’s illness and death, through Covid. And I have trusted it. When I was able to enjoy short bursts of activity in my studio during this time, I always went in with the same intention—to experiment, to play, and to trust that all these small efforts would converge at some point in the not-too-distant future and provide the springboard to a new, more in-depth artistic adventure.

Why now? Because it is time. And while I have time, I aim to use it in the best way I can.