My path into the world of art and illustration has not been a standard one. I did not begin painting, drawing, or making collages until I was thirty years old, and I am almost entirely self-taught. My intense obsessions with pattern, color, and faraway cultures have driven my vast catalog of work.
Much of my work (made primarily from graphite, gouache, ink, and paper) is narrative, though none of it is intended to be realistic snapshots of any particular time or place. While I draw from actual histories and cultures, I work hard to transform them in unexpected ways. My intention is to draw viewers in so that they can invent their own narratives about my work. Paper patchwork, patterns, and a textile presence in my work reference my longtime romance with surface design, in particular the design and folk patterns of Scandinavia and other cultures. My work also combines obvious juxtapositions: combining bold neon colors with vintage sepia-toned photographs and traditional graphite drawings with collaged geometric shapes.
Memory, 2012, cut paper, vintage doily, and nails in shadow box
New Collage: Far Away, 2013, vintage wallpaper, ink, and photographic paper
Sämi Woman, 2011, graphite, gouache, and cut paper in shadow box
Sämi Girl, 2012, graphite, paper, fake fur in shadow box
Kvinne, 2011, vintage ephemera and cut paper in shadow box
Star #2, 2011, vintage ephemera and cut paper in shadow box
Deep, 2011, graphite, gouache, and cut paper
Hooded Reindeer, 2012, graphite, cut paper, and glitter in shadow box
