Having grown up on a farm in central Illinois, I observed the self-sufficiency that is innate in my parents who are, themselves, descendants of farmers. From my parents and grandparents, I learned that a person does not have to buy everything, but can make things to suit our daily needs. And using objects made by hand touch our humanity in ways that machine made products cannot. The mark of the human hand softens and personalizes the object; it makes the piece more friendly to human use. I have chosen the form of furniture as the means to communicate my solid belief in the profound beauty of the handmade. Utilizing the methodical pace my artworks require to be constructed, I am making a statement against mass-production and insensitivity to the small details of daily life. By creating utilitarian works of art, I hope to pass on some beauty and a slower reflective pace directly to the person using the piece. My artwork is intended as an antidote for the frenetic atmosphere in which contemporary society functions.

I use vivid colors in my artwork because they bring me joy. Many of the color combinations are inspired by nature or various cultures’ textile traditions, such as a Japanese kimono or a Moroccan rug. Stripes are the primary graphic inspiration for my work. Stripes are also widely used in textiles and are so very up front and direct. They provide a stable format within which I can play with colors. I use plywood in the construction of the furniture to provide stripes in the woodwork that reflect the stripes in the cloth. And I use the same dyes on the wood as I do in the cloth to achieve a continuity of color.