I was born in Ketchikan and moved to Kodiak in 1969. This has been my home since then. My childhood family of five lived in a tiny home often floating and surrounded mostly by wild land, sea, and sky scapes. There were very few square corners or fences and under foot were rocks or shifting sand and water. It was not an even playing field. In fact, a mowed lawn where balls didn’t roll off into the tide was a rare and fascinating pleasure. Kodiak is a little bit drier but pretty similar. This is the scene that forms the base of all my attempts at art.

  I look for inspiration always and everywhere. Some of my favorite places to look are ditches, dumps, tidelines. Sometimes I find one. Sometimes I find so many it’s hard to carry them all home. And then to remember where I put them when I need them. I love cast off things and whatever drifts in on the tide, washes up in the sand, or falls down out of the sky. And I like to use them in my creations.

  My art education comes from whatever or whomever I come in contact with. It is ongoing.  I am an enthusiastic collector of processes. My occupation with boats and fishing has given me many useful skills. Knots, knives, charts, sunrises, twine and rope, dead fish, all get used at times. I love to see how things are made and used. I love new tools and materials. Anytime there was a workshop or class at Kodiak College or a visiting artist, I have tried to attend and learn from them. I learn from my friends. Youtube and Pinterest are valuable resources now that we have the Internet. Painting scenes at the theater has contributed immensely to my

repertoire. I just try to keep my eyes open and absorb stuff. I feel like a hunter-gatherer with a twist.

 Some of my past interests have included:  felting, knitting and wool fiber yarn making, basket making including gathering and processing of natural fibers, nature printing including fish, constructing with tin cans, sheet metal and wire, book and paper making and clay sculpture.

  Besides the usual sticks and bones and three-dimensional objects I have been excited lately about Zentangles, stenciling, gel plate printing, block printing, and decoupage type layering. These have all been incorporated into my most recent pieces.

  My artwork usually starts with some “bright idea” as my parents would have said. As in who’s bright idea was that? There may be a small plan but it always gets adjusted as I go along. I think accidental results are at least as interesting as the purposeful ones. I just keep using whatever is at hand and combining processes and materials. My house is full of resources.

  If what I create can make people smile or wonder a little I feel successful. My purpose is to amuse myself and if it amuses others I am satisfied.