ARTIST'S STATEMENTAt the age of 70 I reinvented myself as an artist. After spending more than 65 years using words to describe what I saw, what I believed, and what I felt, I ran out of words. I found the gnarled, twisted sticks of desert woods spoke for themselves, told their own stories. I found lumps of clay to squeeze between my fingers as I shape it into a base for my wood, an abstract face or a vessel.
Truly local Verde Valley art, the sticks I combine into assemblages are all born and raised here in the Verde Valley. Collected from desert environs like riparian creeksides, exposed hillsides, dry rocky washes, Using papier mache or epoxy putty, I construct them into sculptures. I allow their curves, their their twists, their shapes, and even the negative spaces, the air between their branches, to describe the stark beauty of their birthplace. Beyond the Alabaster I have been using for bases, I now make ceramic pieces to combine with wood. Inspired by the arid landscapes around me, these vessels and bases reflect the knolls, the rocky outcroppings, A visit to Adrift Desert Wood and Stone Studio is to step into a stark, make-believe world of imaginative creatures. Visitors frequently fall into the “I see a…” game. Is this a dragon or a dinosaur; a griffin or a ghoul? Come, see for yourself. Discover the creative sense of humor only nature can hold! A resident of the Verde Valley since 2010, I live in Clarkdale with my two mini-doxies. I have two tabby cats guarding my studio in nearby Cottonwood. I have found the easiest way to live, and to age gracefully, is by keeping active, having many close friends and maintaining my sense of humor. My art speaks to all of these. A native of Berkeley, California, I lived there until I joined the Peace Corps in 1968. I taught special education and reading for over 40 years. I have written two books. It Happened in the Cottonwood Library Parking Lot is a group of 20 short, short stories of people who came through the Cottonwood Library parking lot and their lives changed. Sensations in Color is my word-art. I explored the taste, smell and other sensations of color, primarily the colors found here in Arizona. These books are available on here in my studio or on Amazon.com. |
Photo Credit: John Keehn of Studio A Bit Blue
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To Be A Tree In The Desert
Buffeted by winds.
blasted by sands,
baked by summer's
relentless sun.
The debris from these trees,
the jagged breaks in their limbs,
the bark, thickened into a shield,
the root gnarled around a rock.
Collected and assembled,
these speak to the textures,
the lines, the shapes,
of arid existence.
Buffeted by winds.
blasted by sands,
baked by summer's
relentless sun.
The debris from these trees,
the jagged breaks in their limbs,
the bark, thickened into a shield,
the root gnarled around a rock.
Collected and assembled,
these speak to the textures,
the lines, the shapes,
of arid existence.
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423C South 6th Street, Cottonwood, AZ
928-963-0978 Studio Hours: 10:00 to 1:00 Tuesday - Saturday or by appointment |
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