Heimta (Old Norse term): To fetch, gather, glean.

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I am a story conjuror.

Magical realism creates a place where the living interact with both familiar and unusual forces. The captured moments depicted in the work linger between the conscious and the sub-conscious; the dream and the reality; when your mind wanders through your own library of fantastic experiences. That is the juncture which draws me in and hangs on long enough for me to discover its unique truth.

 

I am a gleaner.

I harvest materials, color, pattern, and environments; all discovered through a compulsive gleaning season. I am continually gathering and don’t remember a time when I wasn’t. My studio is a packed nest of all these objects and resources, waiting patiently for the time when their attributes have a role to play in the final expression.

 

I am a builder.

The assemblage aspect of the work is always a challenge, discovering how one thing will relate to another. I am fascinated by the impact of one idea/image/object on another, and how that interaction is transformative for all involved. Often times the found object loses its original identity and takes on a new one. In some of the assemblage work, the narrative is encapsulated within a framework, creating a contemporary icon of the depicted event.

 

This exhibit, Heimta, is divided into four parts:

Paintings and Assemblage

Iceland-Voyager

Hungary-The Navigators

Sketchbook

 

Each part of the exhibit has its own focus. In the case of the Iceland and Hungary artist residency series, immersing myself in a completely new environment with limited art supplies created a significant impact on my “usual” work. Artist residencies have their unique challenges, especially for one who values and thrives off familiar structure and routines. The first week is always a bit painful. I wander around a bit lost, exploring my new “home”, gathering visual knowledge, trying to stay in a place of discovery. I know I need to find a new rhythm in order to start creating. I have to trust that it will happen, because at this stage, it doesn’t feel comfortable. Once the structure is discovered, then I can begin production. And now it feels right.

 

The sketchbook work shows process and a commitment to practice. Doing a sketch a day has been an amazing force in my art and life. It connects me as a person-with-distractions to me as an artist-with-creative purpose. This is who I am. I do this thing. I don’t judge this work, and most of the time, it’s only seen by me. I draw from observation, imagination, and images. At this point, I have completed over 5,200 daily sketches. I don’t expect to quit unless I can no longer hold a drawing tool in my hand.