I enjoy making art because it’s a way to express myself that’s both intuitive and contemplative–some things require a lot of planning, some don’t require much at all; and some require planning the whole while the parts are made intuitively. It’s also a way for me to explore ancient cultures and themes and gives me an excuse for researching various interests.

My interests focus on two main themes: sculpting and ancient history. I like sculpting figures, characters I’ve made up, because it gives me the opportunity to explore who they are, what they’re like, and why they’re here. Ancient art, writing, and cultural themes have captured my imagination since I was nine and most ancient civilizations incorporated sculpting into various forms of expression from written to decorative. I love researching about them and bringing our past into our present. I believe that the world’s history is my history, regardless of the race or culture and love getting in touch with that past through my art.

My work is unique because it’s mine; it’s from my heart, not someone else’s. On a more practical level, there are only a few polymer clay artists who use ancient culture themes and they tend to be more swept up in the spiritual aspects which you can feel in their work. I love the ancient pieces for their beauty and for the history they represent and I express that in my work.

As for the sculptures, making figures based on my own characters gives them, I think, more personality; makes them seem like they could wake up from their frozen state, step off their perch, and start telling you about themselves. I can put more depth into them because they are my own inventions and I know so much more about them than I do about someone else’s characters.

My inspiration comes from several places. First and foremost, my husband–he puts his all into his work and his family. My daughters because they always see everything with such wonder. Katherine Dewey because she makes the most exquisite figures. Mark Dennis for the same reason. The Maya heiroglyphs and art in all its forms. Egyptian art and writing. Far Eastern art and, well, most of the ancient cultures. In my artwork, I see my past and history, my thoughts, my soul, my dreams, my family, my fantasies, my nightmares, my ideas, my beliefs, the very essence of everything I am.

My goals and aspirations as an artist are to share my love of history and ancient cultures with whomever is interested; to share my interest in people and why they do things; to be able to teach others who are interested in learning the same media I work in; and, naturally, to make a living doing what I love most.

I work in mixed media, mainly polymer clay. I’ve tried limiting myself exclusively to one media and, while I’m not ashamed of the work I did, I feel like I can express myself more fully using whatever material I need. But my first love is polymer clay because it’s very tactile and very versatile. There are so many things that can be done with it from full color to monochrome, from texture to a smooth but lively design. It can be used for sculpting, “painting,” jewelry (not just beads, either), home accessories, vessels, and utility items–in other words, it’s almost unlimited in scope for creating art in whatever area of life you desire.

Ancient Arts