Materials have a feel or an emotion tied to them.

      
                       
                 
                   what does this say to you?

             
                                                                                          
                                                                                   There is
                                                                        more going on
                                                        than just the placement
                                                    of oil paint, the inside of a
                                         potato chip bag, a tattered glove,
                            red felt, squashed pop cans, and acrylic
                                                paint on this 11" x 17" panel.

                   
       Fifth graders at the Root Middle School
           told me this piece
                   reminded them of
                           death     pollution  
       the end of the world    war

  
      The shiny inside of a potato chip bag
            made many students feel 
                      happy   glad  
        hopeful              joyful


            
           Materials cut out to resemble a figure
                 make this easier to interpret. In this piece
                  glitter has a transcendency about it. The reflective
                    quality of the wrapper catches the light and led
          one fourth grader to say it looked like an angel.
                       The body position of the figure below
                          is one of worship or giving up control to another.
                            Both figures say something. They are related.

               Spots of red on the hands and feet spoke to one girl.
               She blurted out, "That's Jesus." 

               One lady noticed there was no face on the glitter figure.

               What you feel when you look at a piece is part of what
                        you take with you.

              
               
               One art student saw a monster when I held this upside down.

               It is made of pendant strips, glitter, acrylic paint
            and plastic from a red drinking cup.

               Danielle from The Phat Phish said of the glitter,
     "That's us. We're in the wounds of jesus. That is where he heals us."

               Abstract collages take an open mind
                 and some speculation.

               Many times I find new meanings in my work from
           viewers I have not talked with before. It's amazing.
           It's satisfying. Hunches and guesses are worth sharing.
           There is room for interpretation here.
  

                         

                    One farm wife from the Francis Sams group
          was reminded of going through tough times. 
          She saw struggle and pain.
      
            A business man from Men's group
          saw a sun in a bright sky that reminded him of heaven
          and God. The glove was reaching out for God.
          He saw a quest, a search.

                A boy raised his hand and said the orange spot
          was a ball and the hand was going to catch it.

                Look at the glove again.
 

what does this say to you ?

back