In June of 2023, I retired from an accidental teaching career spanning 30 years. Accidental, because I never really wanted to teach, but circumstances and opportunities kept nudging me in that direction. Over time, something felt right in the act of passing on my passion for creation and I dedicated myself to a task that is harder than any others I've enjoyed and more rewarding than I could have dreamed. And I'm good at it. Or so I'm told. But the studio work suffered and now, I'm making up for lost time.
Since retiring, I've discovered a level of freedom In my art-making practice, redefining myself in every object I make. I still set goals and tasks for myself; however, I am rarely in a rut, bereft of ideas or the steam to carry them out. Now, the studio is full to the brim with new projects.
For years I have incorporated random drawing methods and chance decision-making into my practice to get projects started in new and unexpected ways. I reuse much of my own previous work (appropriating myself in a sort of pluralistic manifesto) to stimulate a dialogue of curiosity and discovery. Irony and humor are important to me in my life and in my work. I am always asking myself "what happens if I try this? or do this?" The goal is to surprise myself. If I am not surprised, intrigued or interested then neither will be the viewer.