When I enter my studio to begin the day I become aware of the sense of stillness and silence that lives among the various paintings that are in all stages. Some that I feel are complete, others are partially blank canvas with color markings.

As I take in the setting, I begin to look closely at the gradations and textures that are before me and I realize that my breathing changes. I begin to relax more and observe the movement of pattern, light, and shadow and continue to allow my breath to deepen and flow to my entire body. I have been brought to a meditative state that I honor as a gift from the Divine.

While taking photos of the sunset I noticed how richly the color magenta came through the clouds. It inspired me to consider the feeling and use of this color.

I began to notice magenta other places in my environment. Nature always inspires me to include its radiance and I started mixing the color to use in my artwork.

A collage is an assemblage of diverse fragments in unexpected juxtaposition creating a unique work of art. The 8” by 6 ¾” collage shown here is part of that process. When considering the fractals laid before me, something takes over and begins to move the pieces like fitting a puzzle together. The gingko leaf that is included adds an element of nature to this special little piece.

Sometimes you just need to make a mess to make a breakthrough, it’s the process. The breakthrough in artmaking comes for me when I can settle into recognizing the piece that I am working on is internally satisfying and that I can see its beauty. Contemporary artwork may be particularly challenging in this respect. Often times the satisfaction comes slowly and a piece will go through many states of exploration (a word that I use a lot) until I risk considering it completed.