As an artist I’ve been known primarily as a watercolorist, but several years ago I discovered the art of paper weaving through an online workshop with the Colorado papermaker and book author Helen Hiebert. A love and appreciation of paper developed through learning about various handmade papers from around the world. I’ve mostly enjoyed weaving these handmade papers with my own watercolors, either repurposed existing paintings, or those created specifically to weave.  It’s been very satisfying to marry the love of paper with a lifelong practice of watercolor. I’ve also experimented extensively with other papers, from magazine, book, and calendar pages to vintage photographs to rice paper, as well as non-paper such as fishnet, ribbon, and string.

While some enjoy working with the many traditional weaving patterns, most of my paper pieces have been created with a simple over, under, over, under weave. I introduce complexity by cutting “windows” in the squares to reveal the layer of paper below, and sometimes several layers are involved. My approach is formalist, with an emphasis on shape and color harmonies, however, the content is more personal and narrative in the case of repurposing, for example, a plein air painting or a portrait of a family member. In viewers I hope to evoke appreciation of the beauty of the paper and the color combinations, as well as delight by the manipulation of materials and the techniques used for creation.