The History of My Technique – Painting with Paper
In college I became obsessed with printmaking. I was less interested in making multiples of images, and more interested in using different techniques for layers and experimentation. I manipulated etching plates and tried different inking methods, and then rolled it through the big press waiting for the moment of magic when I peeled the paper off the plate. Bright colors were always involved and my graduate show featured a huge wall of only red art.
As my college days came to a close, I realized that I would not have all this equipment after I graduated. I was so worried I stayed up all night trying to become a lino-cut expert, but then the knife slipped and I cut right in to my hand. I was rushed to the hospital for stitches and a big reminder that things were about to get grim for me and printmaking. When I finally left art school and my well-stocked printmaking studio, I resumed painting but it was clear that my love for layering and textures followed me. I was painting like a printmaker.
The images I made both in school and after were like chaotic patterns from an ancient world, with elements of Chinese stamps, aboriginal designs, Keith Haring-like graffiti and cave painting scribbles taking over the entire surface. Hot and bright primary colors pushed the patterns even further. I was told I should go in to fabric design and even made attempts to show my work to designers in New York. But my work was not set up for fashion and the measured formatting that was required. I still had a lot more exploration to do.
I considered everything a possible material. I tried making art on different surfaces such as discarded venetian blinds, closet doors, used drumheads and shoeboxes. Thoughts about waste and finding ways to recycle what has been left behind propelled me to re-use and breathe new life into discarded materials. I filled my studio with collections of everything: hubcaps, plastic bottle tops, beads, wrappers, upc symbols, fortunes, and receipts. I collaged everything into my paintings creating a literal documentation of my life and all I encountered. My paintings were officially mixed media.
Eventually, I interspersed layers of acrylic paint and collaged paper, until I stopped using paint altogether. My current paintings are made entirely of paper – pulled from my extensive collection of colored, patterned, decorative and handmade papers. I collage and layer paper pieces onto canvas or paper surfaces, making joyful organic compositions filled with vibrant images of life and growth.
I consider myself a painter, and I paint with paper.
