NEVERLAND

Artist Statement - My literary series is inspired by a lifelong love and passion for great books and the characters, themes and landscapes brought to life within their pages. I imagine Romeo and Juliet as a pair of Sandhill cranes trapped in an eternal courtship dance full of love and longing. Inspired by Charles Darwin's " Origin of Species", I explore the concept of evolution as a metaphor for the creative process. The art of " becoming" drawings becoming paintings, thoughts becoming words, bones becoming living creatures. I have combined oil paint and encaustics for this series. Encaustic is a seductive medium; I use molten wax and a blowtorch to create a rich and luminous tapestry of texture and saturated color. This medium allows me to work in layers, just as an author creates layers of meaning which we as readers uncover. If you look closely many of these works contain text, maps and illustrations from the original stories. I hope this series inspires you to revisit and explore these rich and amazing works of literature.