[2] The Vine Intervention

Artist Statement Although we come into this world one by one and we leave this world one by one, we are all systemically interwoven. We all affect someone along the way just as others leave their mark on us. We were not made to travel this journey as a solo entity but to explore our environments and get tangled in their relationships. The simple beauty that surrounds us is often passed right by without second thought. It is not until one decides to find the glory in the smallest details that one can be truly satisfied. It is not second nature but becomes easier with the repetitive decision to stay focused on discovering joy. We all exude energy. I want my outgoing energy to be uplifting. I see the ever changing world as a utensil to challenge this side of myself. I feel this interwoven community of energy includes the realms of flora and fauna. Our souls are the unique element of our experience and the rest is just a bunch of molecules floating around. Just as plants and animals grow to their environments, so do we. So does our love, our joy, our hate, or our sadness. I enjoy examining the patterns of plant growth as a symbol of personal growth and the building of one experience on another. I have titled each piece as essential factors that either assist in our growth or impede it. For instance, our Inner Dialog is an important element that has the ability to either encourage our growth or hinder it. I make art that is first derived from a living species and then abstracted to become its own entity. By examining the structural development of organic forms, I make sculptures that create an ease within its natural configuration and look to find the calm resting place inside each new arrival. I strive to find the harmony of the piece and ultimately don’t stop building until that is achieved. The building technique I use is the accumulation of similar parts which allows me to continue to add elements until the desired semblance is found. I enjoy this pursuit. Once the initial idea starts to take shape the process is very calming and almost hypnotic. The beginning of the process, on the other hand, of getting my concept to take a tangible state is my biggest hurdle. At times I become frozen in my idea. Most of my forms begin in a quiet place alone. Just as my environment is my inspiration, at times it is my deterrent. Once the form is growing it becomes second nature. I feel my way through. I think through the technical aspects and feel through the rest. Clay is my medium. Clay is my choice. I understand it. At times I let it do what it wants and at times I make it do what I want. We work together. Making this current series “grow” has lead me to examine what that actually means to me. What is success? How do we grow? What circumstances inhibit or accelerate our growth? Where do we get that metaphoric “water” that is so necessary for our souls? How much do we need? Will we ever find enough? How are all these unique experiences connected and what is the most important? And then I get my answer: just love one another.https://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/seniorexhibspr2013/1023/thumbnail.jp