Charmed By a Fragile Light - Beam Painting

I grew up mostly in Minnesota, and often spent my summers at the lake cabin with my grandparents. My grandmother taught me quilting and crochet, gardening, and especially, taught me her busy-ness and her active hands. At the same time, my grandfather taught me building and remodeling as I helped him by holding boards and handing him nails. With that process, I developed the awareness that with time and effort, anything can be created with human hands. As a child and teenager, I spent a great deal of time wandering Minnesota’s country roads and woods, which inspired a deep love of the land and a connection to the earth. In particular, my early connection to Minnesota’s lakes and rivers helped me develop a wordless sense of flow and the peace that it brings. I spent two decades in New York City, immersing myself in the arts and culture that thrive there. Two decades of a long distance courtship caused my eventual return to Minneapolis, which lost me a city that truly felt like mine, but gave me so much in return. My current body of carved wood wall pieces is both inspired by, and a result of the space, tools and materials available in Minnesota. It is work that harks back to my childhood and the lessons of my grandparents - work that is pieced together almost quilt-like, and built and carved with human hands.