memory threads.
My sculptures are meant to stimulate visually, tactically, and emotionally. I am using layers of materials to create texture, patterns, shapes, and lines. They are made of fabric, yarn, lace, string, and wire. Recycled curtains, sweaters, tablecloths, and t-shirts are incorporated into each one. The sculpture is a story, and all the elements in the sculpture are essential to the story, I’ve chosen them to represent a moment in time, a feeling, or an emotion. The pieces of fabric I’ve selected have a memory attached; my mother’s sweater, my daughter’s blanket, curtains from my former house, and my son’s t-shirt he wore when he was young. They all speak to me in different ways and play a role in the narrative. My goal is to create 3D versions of tableaux.
banner of peace.
I first began making these installations because I was asked to create an interactive art piece by MICA (Milton Interfaith Clergy Association) who were planning a town gathering commemorating the town's collective journey with COVID 19 on May 16, 2021. It was both a memorial and a service of consolation and hope.
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I knew I wanted to create something out of fabric that would offer a feeling of comfort. I began with the three rings. Research led me to The Banner of Peace. The Banner of Peace is a symbol of the Roerich Pact. This pact is the first international treaty dedicated to the protection of artistic and scientific institutions and historical monuments. It was signed on April 15, 1935. The Banner of Peace was proposed by Nicholas Roerich for an international pact for the protection of cultural values and is symbolized by three rings.
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For the piece, I chose the colors of the rainbow to symbolize unity and acceptance. Parishioners who attended the ceremony added names of loved ones lost, thanks to caregivers, poems, and prayers on ribbons attached to each ring. The installation remained in place at the Milton Congregational Church for many months, until a large storm destroyed it not unlike the virus that has affected so many.
our house.
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This art piece was created in my Recycle, Reuse, Reimagine class. Young artists selected the ribbon, fabric, and string to create a tent. They worked on making finger-knitted lengths of yarn to add texture. Our House is a colorful oasis that every student at the Milton Art Center touches, plays beneath, and swirls!
suis ton coeur.
Suis ton Coeur means to follow your heart in French and is my latest 3D work. I am exploring how the heart is an essential organ that connects us all.
The three rings are meant to symbolize the tissue of the heart; the Myocardium, the muscular tissue of the heart, the Endocardium which protects the valves and chambers, and the Pericardium, a thin protective coating that surrounds them all. The hanging fibers represent the ventricles, veins, and arteries that pump blood out of the heart and into the circulatory system keeping us alive.
The color, texture, and fabric of Suis ton Coeur are intentional. Incorporated into it are lengths of recycled calico from old dresses, satin from a costume, and felt left over from a puppet. Woven into Suis ton Coeur are yarn, string, and wire wrapped in thread. The felt balls are a commentary on the bumps and bruises our hearts sustain along our journeys.
My wish is that Suis ton Coeur will invoke a sense of happiness, healing, and hope in anyone who views it.
soleil.
Soleil, which means sun in French is my latest sculpture. The name is a nod to my mom who was French. She was the center of our universe and literally our equinox of light. I lost her to Covid-19 on August 2, 2022, the day after her 96th birthday. She was an amazing artist, mother, and grandmother. While I miss her every day, I’ve come to realize that her light did not die with her passing, it lives on in her art, in me, and in my children.
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View more photos and videos here.
the silent generation.
