20 x 24"

Polymer clay, Apoxie Sculpt, napkins, tissue paper, jewelry pieces, beads, charms

Life Resplendent is part of a new body of work using a technique I have termed "clay appliqué". This is a process where I have created image transfers on polymer clay that are cut out and "sewn" onto the collaged background. The background was created using hand-stamped tissued paper and napkins. The deer and all of the appliquéd pieces are image transfers on polymer clay. The antlers were created using Apoxie sculpt that was embedded with beads, jewelry and charms to create a jewel-like look. The idea for this piece came about during the first year of the pandemic with the "pause" in human activity where nature rebounded.

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11 x 14"

Polymer Clay, resin pieces, jewels, beads, glass tesserae and found objects

Time is Precious is a wall piece that was inspired by an antique lithograph of a saint. I created an image transfer on polymer from a photo I shot of this piece. The central figure is adorned with a halo that was purchased in Mexico. In his hand is a vintage watch face that speaks to the theme of time passing and just how precious time is. The border tiles that surround this piece are polymer clay that have been stamped, painted and embedded with jewelry and hand-cast resin pieces. The palette of blues, reds and golds was inspired by Colonial and Spanish art.

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4 x 9"

Polymer clay, resin, jewelry pieces, bezel and glass dome

Saint Corona is part of a series created during the last two years of the pandemic. This small gothic shrine was created using polymer clay and resin. The central figure is Saint Corona, believed by many to be the patron saint of pandemics. This figure was created using an image transfer that was then hand painted. A mask was added to her face to remember and reflect on these challenging times in our history. The side panels are polymer clay that was stamped with a quatrefoil design and then embedded with gold spacers and pearls reminiscent of medieval art.

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20 x 16 inches. Polymer clay, Apoxie Sculpt, beads, charms, souvenirs, jewelry pieces and found objects. As a continued exploration of a theme, My Tree of Life, incorporates traditional iconography presented in a new way using modern materials. Using both polymer clay and Apoxie Sculpt, I am able to fabricate works that incorporate the many found objects, bits, pieces and souvenirs I gleaned while traveling the world. This is a tree that symbolizes my life’s wanderings through the tiny tokens, amulets and treasures embedded throughout the branches, each with a story to tell of a particular time and place. As such, this narrative mosaic serves as a keeper of my memories of the past few decades.

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20 x 16 inches. polymer clay with image transfers, collage, jewelry pieces, charms and found objects. Lady of the Pandemic is part of a series of artworks called During the Pandemic that I began back in March when Covid was just taking hold as a way to “mark” this historic time. These pieces address the issues of isolation, staying home and mask wearing. Inspired by both Spanish colonial art and Medieval art, Saint Corona figures predominately into this body of work. I used the now-ubiquitous imagery of the virus in both the background behind her halo and also on her cloak. She is holding a crown (corona) in her clasped hands, a symbol of the coronavirus. Below this is a banner that says Memento Mori, an artistic reminder about the inevitability of death and that death comes to us all regardless of our station in life. In my work, Saint Corona is invoked as a symbol of protection.

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Two Dimensional Work

12 x 9 inches. polymer clay, handmade jewels, and found objects. This piece was created in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the subsequent social justice movement that aimed to address the systemic racism that has plagued our nation for centuries. This polymer mosaic presents this contemporary theme about racial inequality but the imagery is juxtaposed with Medieval iconographical elements. Using the tarot card justice, this female figure holds the scales of justice in one hand and a sword in the other, a symbol of balance and fairness in dispensing justice. When viewed upright, tarot cards have one meaning, in this case that justice will be served. When viewed in reverse, they have the opposing meaning which in this case would mean unfairness, bigotry and bias. As a symbol of hope and “justice for all”, my image is facing upright.

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Two Dimensional Work