My personal work focuses on an exploration of the "ordinary." I examine and esthetically manipulate objects that are part of everyday life; these items may have a cultural and/or personal history or may enter one's life as newly created societal icons. Although my background is in painting and drawing, I have also taken this theme into installation, video and performance work as well as printmaking and photography. I am a multi-media artist who is fascinated with space, while constantly searching out processes which allow me to best express my conceptual concerns. How does this multi-faceted approach impact my teaching? I encourage students to value mastering traditional processes while being open to experiencing the excitement of searching out and discovering non-traditional methodologies. I also want students to learn that art making involves both anguish and exhilaration and that these emotional states are necessary for artistic growth. In the midst of Kenyon's dynamic liberal arts setting, I encourage a student to utilize an interdisciplinary approach to art making, confident that it will aid in the development of a broad, yet deeply enriched visual language.
