Artist Statement
I see life as diverse, beautiful, fragile, and sacred and want to give voice to the beauty that lies hidden.
The opportunity to reclaim a piece of nature and give it a whole new life, brings me great pleasure. I feel I not only honor the natural world, but celebrate it as it holds the potential to transform us in so many ways.
On a deeper level, I see it as a way to show how we sometimes overlook our own feelings, emotions, and desires.
I love the ritual of bringing into being, much like a gardener, or a nurturer. These masks are like a votives, or wishes, and a celebration of life, with victory over adversity.
Check out the “Creativity Inside and Out” interview podcast segment on YouTube where I talk a little bit about my process:
Exhibition History
2017 – “Nature”
Light, Space & Time Online Art Gallery
(2nd Place Award – 3D Art Category)
Gallery Director, John R. Math
2010 – 2015 – Galleria de la Vega
El Barrio de Tubac, 22C Tubac Road, Tubac, Az
Gallery Owners, Darleene and Enrique de la Vega
Group Shows
2009 – QR Show
Post Gallery, 1904 East Seventh Place, Los Angeles, Ca
Curated by Steven Lee Stinnett
2002 – Earth Alchemy
Avenue 50 Studio, Highland Park, Ca
Curated by Tricia Watts
2002 – Latino Heritage
Lankershim Arts Center, North Hollywood, Ca
Curated by Dover Abrahms
2002 – Thought Provoking
Lankershim Arts Center, North Hollywood, Ca
Curated by Dover Abrahms
2002 – Women’s History 200 Years
Lankershim Arts Center, North Hollywood, Ca
Curated by Dover Abrahms
2001 – Mother Earth/Tiera Madre de la Naturaleza
Rockrose Gallery, Highland Park, Ca
Curated by RosaMaria Marquez
Juried Exhibitions
2005 – AHA!
Pomona Downtown Arts Center, Pomona, Ca
1992 – 1993 / Face To Face: Traditional and Contemporary Masks
Sky Harbor Art Program – Traveling exhibition for various sites throughout the US Southwest
Juried by Lenne Eller
Selected Outdoor Venues
1993 – Bill Graham Presents: WOMAD Festival
Irvine Fairgrounds, Ca
Co-founder/Artistic Director, Thomas Brooman
1990 – International Festival of Masks
Hancock Park, Los Angeles, Ca
Produced by The Craft and Folk Art Museum