I am a collaborator with nature, often using found objects in my clay sculpture. My greatest inspiration is my motherhood and nature. Working with clay is a tactile, spiritual interaction. It's a dance as the image emerges and takes on a life form of it's own. The story gradually reveals itself and not always upon completion of the piece. It is a gradual unfolding.... "What the caterpillar thinks is the end of the world...the butterfly knows is only the beginning!"
I have seen myself as an artist since childhood, always drawing and creating imaginary worlds, growing up in New York City. Working in a multitude of medium, I was involved in various group exhibits throughout the Maryland area, where I raised my family, before journeying across the country and relocating to Portland, Oregon. My passions for family and nature have been nurtured and blossomed since this move, where I finally feel at home. I am an artist exploring narrative sculpturecombining found objects, text and mixed media. I am constantly searching for a new language to express myself, and the various materials I use reflects that personal exploration. Journeying through the layers of memory is very important to me. Process is an integral part of my artwork. By physically touching the surface and manipulating the medium, I am creating a dialogue, thus allowing an image to evolve and take on a life of its own. That process is then continued as I try to draw the viewer into that dialogue. Ironically, I reach a deeper personal understanding by losing myself in the process. I hope to touch each viewer on a personal level as well. You can see a more comprehensive collection of my sculptures at:
I keep my spirit vitalized by creating mixed media sculpture, exploring narrative photography, writing, participating in collaborative art projects, volunteering for various Portland organizations, walking in the woods and along the Oregon coast collecting the next sculpture inspiration that nature offers me, enjoying the solitude of Phillips Lake in Shelton, Washington, camping, snorkeling in Hawaii, doing yoga, blossoming my spiritual practice as part of the ecstatic dance community, making my voice heard as a quiet activist for various humanitarian issues, appreciating live theater and music in Portland and enjoying the vastly rich life that Oregon has to offer me, but especially spending time with my family. I am savoring my new journey as I explore the middle road of Buddhism. I am also very committed to the Nourishing Traditions philosophy of Nutrient Dense Eating and being a Conscious Omnivore. I try to live an "intentional life" every day with "Jo Y"! I feel like a square peg who has finally found her square hole!
I am a member of:
Left Coast Artist Collective, Cannibals Gallery, The Pacific Northwest Sculptors, and The International Sculpture Center
1 comments:
Hooray! I'm excited for CHAIR AFFAIR season... Thanks for sharing the good news, Jo.
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