gallery representation

Meyer Gallery
Park City, Utah
www.meyergallery.com

artist statement

Much of my wood sculpture focuses on illusion; a sense of Tromp l’Oeil (fool the eye). Altering form, yet maintaining the integrity of the wood is an important part of my art work.

Design, space relationships, high contrast lighting effects (as seen in the natural wood pieces), and bold use of color are deliberate considerations dominant in my current sculpture.

The natural wood sculptures read as supple, organic, and visually sensuous although created from a semi-hard material.

The “chain series” is symbolic of a personal transition from the real estate industry; the struggle to break free and reconnect with the art world after a thirty year hiatus. The bright colors represent creativity. The chains and metal looking parts express holding back, restraint and the interruption of the creative process. The metal looking pieces are often mistaken for Assemblage. Each piece is hand carved from wood, then painted; again an illusion. The colored timbers are recycled wood; dyed to allow the grain, knots, and texture to be a viable part of the sculpture.

The dyed wood relief sculptures are designed to emphasize the variation of shapes and color; contrasts to create a visual vibration.

Precise craftsmanship and attention to detail are critical elements in the execution of my work. Sculpture is a physical and visual manifestation to express personal transitions and life events.

Bio

Born: Salt Lake City, Utah

Passionate about the outdoors, a deep respect for nature developed at an early age. A natural progression followed with the connection to wood, organic materials, and found objects. The physicality of working with a medium, altering its form to create different meanings intrigues me.

Acknowledged as artistic from childhood, I have always privately considered myself an artist. I received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Utah in 1980. As a Magna Cum Laude graduate with a major and minor in art, plus an art education certificate, a serious career in the arts seemed eminent. However, as a single parent, in order to better support myself I sought employment outside the art field.

After working thirty years as a Realtor, and at the height of my career, in 2009, I left the industry. Determined to make art my full time occupation; full circle, going home, call it what you may, it was time to “do art”. I’m considered to be “an emerging artist” in today’s market. Perhaps a more accurate term might be “a re-emerging artist”.

Sculpture is a physical and visual expression of personal transitions and events that have impacted my life.

Many of my sculptures create a sense of illusion (Trompe l’Oeil). Design and space relationships are conscious decisions when I create art. Precise craftsmanship and attention to detail are essential in my creations.

EXHIBITIONS

Art Access Gallery juried individual show, Salt Lake City, Ut.: 2012
Springville Art Museum Spring Salon Show; Merit Award, Springville, Ut: 2011
Springville Art Museum Spring Salon Show, Springville, Ut.:2010
Utah Arts Council Annual Juried Show, SLC, Ut.: 2010

**Realtor: 1983-2009

Utah Arts Council Annual Juried Show, SLC, Ut.: 1980
Kimball Art Center Juried Show, Park City, Ut.: 1980
Alvin Gittens Gallery, University of Utah, SLC, Ut.: 1980
Invited demonstrating artist; stone carving: Salt Lake Arts Festival, Ut.:1981

AWARDS

Springville Art Museum Spring Salon Show; Merit Award, Springville, Ut. 2011
Magna Cum Laude Graduate, University of Utah: 1980
Florence Ware Art Tuition Scholarship, University of Utah: 1979
Ford Foundation Scholarship, University of Utah: 1979
Soroptimist Award: SLC, Utah: 1978

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

BFA: University of Utah, Sculpture emphasis: 1980
Secondary Art Education Certificate, University of Utah: 1980
Artspace Artist, SLC, Utah: 1983

WORKSHOPS

Anderson Ranch Art Center, Snowmass, Co.: Sculpture: Ideas in Steel with Mark Cesark: 2011
Anderson Ranch Art Center, Snowmass, Co.: Wood Relief Sculpture with Jeffrey Brosk: 2009
Paul Davis, Utah: painting: 2009
Good Hope Plantation, Jamaica: Sculpture; aluminum casting with James Surls and John Scott: 2000

WORK EXPERIENCE

Realtor: Salt Lake City, Utah: 1983-2009
Secondary Art Education Teacher: 1981