1.Can you tell me a bit about yourself?

I’m originally from the Washington DC Metropolitan area and recently relocated to Lyndon, Illinois. Some of my fondest memories are from my year working at Neema Crafts in Tanzania. One of my husband’s favorite stories to tell about me is that I lived in a school bus in the middle of the woods with no electricity or running water during the year I apprenticed in the Appalachian Mountain under Kevin Crowe.

 

2. What first inspired you to begin working with ceramics?

I was a painting art major and needed to take a three-dimensional class; I was hooked on ceramics after that one class and have not stopped working in clay since then.

3.What is your studio like? Could you share an image?

My studio is really convenient: It’s only a few feet from my bedroom. We purchased our tiny house (530 sq. ft.) this summer and my studio is what would have been the living room in the house. The house is a fixer-upper and I’m still pulling my studio together. Just last week, my electric kiln was installed.

 

4.What are some of your rituals in the studio to get the momentum going?

In the mornings, I enjoy sitting down for coffee, oatmeal, and reading; then I’m ready for the day. Momentum is easiest when I have already thrown some work that is ready to carve and finish. With that said, I do work in firing cycles: After a firing, I like to do a deep cleaning of the studio, reflect on how the pieces came out, and then draw and make notes on some goals for the next firing.

5. How do you overcome ‘failure?’

My motto is: “Don’t give up.” A sketchbook records lessons learned from the “failures.” Ceramics can fail at so many different phases of the making and firing processes, especially in atmospheric firings like soda and wood. Reflections include why certain pieces may have cracked, or evaluations of unsuccessful form and surface combinations. It’s equally important to evaluate the wins and how they were successful.

 

6. What is the most inspiring place you have been?

Tanzania, East Africa. My personal aesthetic of beauty, found in the raw and unrefined, developed while living in Tanzania.

 

7. Do you have any other interests or hobbies?

If I’m not in my ceramic studio, I am probably outdoors, walking around my community or hiking in parks with Maple, my studio dog. Travel has always been a big part of my life and formative to my artwork. I enjoy road trips, camping in the national parks, participating in art residencies abroad, and volunteering where I can.

 

8. Do you collect anything?

My kitchen cupboard is full of functional ceramics made by myself and other ceramic artists. Other than that, I mostly collect memories of wonderful experiences which are helpful when living in a tiny house that is also my studio.

On my walks, I snap pictures—of aging objects, of details in nature, and so much more.

 

9. What are 1-3 books that have influenced your life?

Creativity: The Artist Way by Julia Cameron

Life: The Bible

Education: Quite a variety. This month happens to be a good one: How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

 

10. What are the biggest challenges you have faced as an artist?

For many ceramic artists, it’s often access to facilities. I now own my own kilns, for the first time. It has been years of tucking away money, and waiting to have my own place to set up shop.

 

11. Who/What are influences for your work?

I have definitely been influenced by my mentors: Helen Otterson, Kevin Crowe, Joyce Michaud, and Catherine White. I have also found inspiration from travel, the outdoors and aging objects. Creating a series of work typically leads to ideas for the next series of ceramics.

 

12. What are you working on right now?

I am setting up my studio, working on some new ceramic and wood combination pieces, and having ceramics ready for the maiden soda firing of my new kiln as soon as I finish the kiln plumbing.

You don’t have to be a millionaire to be an art collector!

 How to live in a small space with kids and art. From our own kitchen/living room

I decided to write this as my family and I have decided to invest more in the works of emerging artists. We have slowly added to our collection over the years, mostly through trading work with other artists and buying smaller works that we could afford. I have grown to love our little collection but also seek to expand it. Why do this, when we could be investing more in our IRA’s or college funds for the kids?

 Our own living space and art collection

By owning art you have a personal connection to the artist. With art there is a unique relationship between the buyer and the artist that doesn't really exist with other objects. When you buy from a living and working artist- you are giving them a vote of confidence- especially if they have just started to build their audience. It is both a meaningful act for you and the artist you are supporting.

 

We also do it because we believe in the artist and the art that is being created. We long to support other emerging artists because we know what it feels like being artists ourselves and continually trying to find balance in our creative lives, work lives, and family lives. We know how difficult this is and we know first hand what it feels like to have the drive and absolute need to create above most things.

Milwaukee artist,  Dave Watkins delivering a new painting

We hold day jobs to pay for this love of creating, and of curating. Also, a quick self-promoting plug here… this is why you should invest in emerging artists from artist-run galleries as well! We pour everything we have into our spaces and really want to support and represent our artists to the greatest extent we can. We always wish we could do more.

 

The artists take on risks by sending us new works, paying for shipping (something we wish to help with in the future), and by trusting us to represent their work. This is such a leap of faith, especially given our location- a small Mid-western town of 3,500 on the shores of Lake Michigan. Algoma, Wisconsin is a quant fishing village- not originally known for its art scene (although we have been slowly changing that).

 

We, as a gallery take on risk by making it our fulltime job to represent the artists through social media, PR, mailings, opening receptions, artist talks, meetings with potential clients, and by keeping the doors open. We take on the risks of keeping the lights on, property taxes paid, loans paid, keep the heat on, and continually trying to make our spaces the best they can possibly be. We are continually educating ourselves in the arts and challenging ourselves to be better. We strive for a contemporary space that still feels inviting. It is a continual struggle and at best we break even. We do this because we love art and love working with artists. We believe Algoma can be a major player in the arts community. We have seen how it has grown in the arts since we have moved here. We started with our gallery and a Ceramics Co-Op and have grown to over half a dozen galleries in a town of no more than 3500. This has contributed to the quality of life of everyone in the town, I am certain.

 

I got a bit off topic, so I made a checklist of why and how you should invest in emerging artists. Starting an art collection is more affordable than you think if you take the right approach.

 

-First and foremost you should love the art that you are buying. The art market is fickle and you should definitely collect what you like. How do you know what you like? You can listen to your gut but also educate yourself! See below.

 

-Educate yourself. Start by reading one of the most basic contemporary art books you find in museum gift shops such as: “The Art Book” by Phaidon Press. It is a simple A-Z outline of  Modern through Contemporary art. This is how I educated myself before going to art school.

 -Build a Library. Start collecting Art Books or checking them out from your local library. I used to sit for hours as a teenager in the art books section at our public library paging through images and learning more about the artist’s lives. Their lives and their art are equally fascinating, I promise!

-Subscribe to an arts magazine to keep up with current trends. Try Art Forum, Art in America, or New American Paintings

 

-Go to as many museums and galleries as you can and start looking with a critical eye. You should get an idea of what you are attracted to or not. If you are not attracted to a specific piece of art, ask yourself why not? If it is a simple abstract piece that you feel anyone could do- dig deeper, learn about the art movement, the artist, and the historical underpinnings of the work. You may surprise yourself. The more you educate yourself the better and more confident you will become in developing your own personal taste.

 

-Come visit us! We are always up for a chat about art. You can also make a special appointment if you would like a more in-depth conversation. We are also happy to offer free on-site art consulting. We will bring works of art into your living space or business and help you to see what will work in your space. You will be able to see first hand how art is able to transform a space.

Come vist us and support a small artist-run, family business. We are happy to help!

 James May Gallery. Art of Water II exhibition.

-Get advice from other artists, art historians, designers, collectors, or galleries that you admire.

 My Recent visit to Tom and Virginia Maher’s home. It was so informative and inspiring to hear how they began their collection.

-Arrange a studio visit with an artist you admire. Seeing the studio itself is a great way to connect more with the art they make. See how the work is made and delve into a more in-depth conversation with the artists about the concepts behind the work.  Visit galleries where you can meet the artists and develop a personal relationship from there. Follow them on social media and sign up for their newsletter if they have one. This is a great way to watch an artist grow and develop a connection.

 Recent studio visit with Bruce Basch

 

-Become a member of your local art museum or non-profit. Being a patron of the arts is just as important as becoming a collector and will help you to expand your social network.

 

Art is an investment. It is an investment in the art that was created, as well as the artists themselves. Buy what moves you, that speaks to you. Art that is valuable to you regardless of perceived monetary value. Overtime, developing an interest in art can connect you with an incredible social network and diverse, rich community. Collecting art is not only a great investment but it is also deeply rewarding and can be a life-enriching adventure!

1.Can you tell me a bit about yourself?

 I have blue eyes. I am the mother of a 12- year old. I was born in a year with a 0 at the end which makes it easy to remember how old I am which obviously has its pluses and minuses. I grew up outside of Chicago but hope to move to Maine permanently when my son in out of high school. I do interior design work as my day job although sometimes I get my days and my nights mixed up.

 

2. What first inspired you to begin making work?

 I stared making work after taking a class on the history of photography at my local art center about 10 years ago. A lot of my early work revolved around me making pictures with a small dollhouse doll. I realized pretty early on that they connected to how I felt inside when making them and this is what got me hooked on making art.

 

 

 

3.What is your studio like? Could you share an image?

 I spend a good portion of the summer in Maine (my husband’s business is there) and the school year in Chicago. My studio in Maine is in the woods whereas in Chicago it is in the basement of my apartment building outside of the laundry room. I sometimes find it hard to get there but try to remind myself that I am lucky to have the space and it is actually pretty nice. Can you guess which is which?

 

4.What are some of your rituals in the studio to get the momentum going?

 Movement and music (sometimes). I get a lot of ideas when I move and in an ideal world I would work in a GIANT studio that required I move all over the place. When it clicks I am totally integrated with what I am doing. When this happens I can add music but I need to get to this point first. Also just looking at imagery. Although sometimes this can make me lazy as it is so satisfying to just look sometimes.

 

 5. How do you overcome ‘failure’?

 By trying to put it in perspective and moving forward. The world is a big place and I try to remind myself that there are lots of ways to make a difference and reach people through your work and what you do. Overcoming my own criticism is the hardest which is so ironic…why are we so hard on ourselves!

 

6. What is the most inspiring place you have been to?

I love looking art in whatever context I can but Mass MOCA in North Adams Mass is unbelievably inspiring. It is housed in a converted factory building…initially it was a print works and then an electric company and is 130,000 sq. feet. I’ll attach a pic so you can see the scale of what they can show there. I also love that it is located in the Berkshires instead of a big city.

This was from an Anselm Kiefer Exhibit installed in a giant hanger. These paintings which were massive seascapes with a lot sinking ships covering both sides of this room. Museum guide for scale.

 

 

7. Do you have any other interests or hobbies?

I am interested in design and am currently involved in planning the remodel of our house in Maine. Picking things like paint colors can be a good stress relief. I love being outside. In Maine where we live it is very rural. Sometimes I can go for a walk and not see anyone else for 45 minutes. I find this very grounding and stimulating at the same time. Coming back to Chicago always takes some getting used to.

 

8. Do you collect anything?

Vintage photos, college yearbooks, books in general, interesting objects.

I am drawn to collecting objects that have seem to have stories attached to them that many seem quite unbelievable. For instance, I have a wedding topper (of a couple on their wedding day-it would have been placed on their cake) it has been incased in Lucite..forever preserved which is both charming and creepy. I also have a chocolate bunny mold with a bunch of bunnies missing…the bunnies look incredibly creepy..not the Easter variety. I could go on but you’ll just have to come visit my studio to see.

 

9. What are 1-3 books that have influenced your life?

 Karl Ove Knaussgard’s series My Struggle…there are 6 books so I think that has me covered. He writes very matter of factly about his life and he doesn’t gloss over the ugly parts. This is exactly what I am drawn to in my own work..our struggles..the things we try to hide from each other and ourselves..the crazy hilarious things that we do to each other and to ourselves. I think our stories are amazing just as they are because they are real. He does this really well.

 

10. What are the biggest challenges you have faced as an artist?

 I think finding my place. I started in photography and got my MFA from a school that was focused on photography and film but I came out doing printmaking and have been evolving ever since. I also am a person who has a lot of ideas so staying focused is sometimes a challenge for me.  

 

11. Who/What are influences for your work?

 I really am influenced by everyday moments and how we document them verbally and visually.

 

12. What are you working on right now?

I have been making digital drawings based on found snapshots. I have been trying to figure out how I ultimately want them to be and at the moment my thought is to turn them into hook rugs..which may be a stupid and insane idea but it is my thought. So I am trying to figure out a way to make that happen. I also have a series called Venus with Folds that I am trying to come up with a final presentation for. These are folded Xerox copies of famous female portraits most of which have been painted by men. I fold them until they they turn into an object I am happy with. I thought they might live as photographs but I think they need to be more sculptural so I am still working on it.

 

 

Cassie Marie Edwards is an artist and educator working out of Wisconsin. She received her Master of Fine Arts from Northern Illinois University in 2010, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 2007, both in Painting and Drawing.  Edwards has been a lecturer at UW-Oshkosh since 2016, where she has taught a variety of courses in Foundations and the 2D studio area.  Her Figurine Portraits give personality and liveliness to inanimate objects, and her Faux Landscape series makes us consider our surrounding environment. The realistic quality of her work gives the sense that the objects are just in reach – waiting to be taken off a shelf at home or at the local antique shop.

Edwards was featured in the most recent November and December Exhibition at James May Gallery, alongside Max Manning and Michael Ryan. At the opening reception she gave an artist talk, and this interview is a continuation of that conversation.

Nicole Woodard: When did you decide to pursue art as a career and do you remember the moment that you decided to be an artist?

Cassie Marie Edwards: I wanted to do art ever since I was a kid. It was the thing I did to make friends, so I guess it was part of my identity. My grandpa was an artist; he would paint on the weekends when he was off from work. I started emulating him because I was often watched by my grandparents. It just stuck, and I never really thought about doing something other than art. I started out going to school for art education because I wanted to teach high school. In my first year of undergrad my professor Ron Weaver looked at one of my drawings and asked, “What’s your major?” and I said, “Art Ed” and he replied, “There’s no way you can do art ed. You need to be a studio major.” I kind of took a step back after that point and thought, “Oh yeah, I could do that!” and at that point decided that I wanted to pursue teaching at the college level.

NW: Tell me about your figurine paintings and how they came about? What is their significance?

CME: I started making them when I got done with grad school. I had been making a bunch of work that was all over the place in undergrad and grad school, and most of it had to do with either people’s houses or their belongings or their spaces. I was really interested in how people relate to the things they own, even on large scale like a house. In grad school I had been doing interior photographs and drawings of a doll house I was remodeling and documenting and creating a bunch of tiny furniture. I liked the idea of having the ability to move things around and being able to make my own composition of these static objects became more intriguing than simply documenting the object on its own.

When we moved to South Dakota, I kept seeing figurines that I had collected as a kid. We moved around a lot and thrifting was a big part of my existence - coming from a frugal family, so I started collecting them again without any aim. Then one day I thought that they could fill the space of the doll house that I had been working on.  I did a few paintings of the figurines, and then I did more and more and more.. they kind of multiplied. I was interested in the objects themselves - their past lives, who owned them, were they gifts from a grandmother to a granddaughter, or were they little tchotchkes that people get to commemorate something in their lives. I also enjoy manipulating their personalities by how I pose them within the composition, set up and use color, or even how I light them.

NW: Why did you decide to focus on your own nostalgia of collecting these objects, moving from what you were painting in undergrad and grad school?

CME: The house project was one that had a definite end. I totally remodeled the dollhouse from the inside out and documented along the way. Right after grad school we moved to South Dakota and it was the first time we’d bought a house.  My husband and I had lived in apartments, but we never had an actual home. When I was a kid, and we were moving quite a bit, we were usually hopping from a rental to a rental. This was the first actual home we’d owned together … the work shifted because my life shifted.

NW: How many figures do you have in your collection?

I think it’s probably around 200+. A lot of them are about an inch or two inches tall. Some of them are surprisingly small like the glass dogs I had in the show.

NW: You previously mentioned that a lot of them were Japanese figurines from the 50’s. Is there any significant from that period?

CME: I think I’m really drawn to those because of their aesthetics. A lot of them have these huge eyes and they’re strange, because a lot of the figures that are made now are saccharin sweet and I’m not interested in those aesthetically. I feel like there’s this cultural back and forth that happens between east and west when I look at the ones I choose to paint. The way the eyes are painted on and the way the forms are exaggerated in a lot of places. It’s really fun to me that our brains could make that leap like, “Yeah that’s a dog,” even though it doesn’t look like a dog at all. That part of it is fun to explore visually.

NW: When you approach each painting, do you have a specific routine that you set up for each of your figurines?

CME: I tend to work on 3 or 4 at once, just because of drying times. If I worked on one at a time it would take me forever to get it finished. I’ll work on them simultaneously and start a painting one day and start another the next day. I set up a still life, determine what colors I’m going to have in the background, and set up my lighting. I work from life so I have clamp lights all over my studio and post-it’s on them that say, “don’t move,” because it’s lighting something in a very specific way. I take a backup photo every time I start a painting because occasionally a lamp will get knocked out of alignment, but I really like working from life because I can observe more of the subtle variations within the compositions.

When I start a painting, I do my underpaintings in acrylic. I have a non-toxic studio set up because I don’t want to have any hazardous vapors in my studio. The last one or two layers are the only ones that are oil in my paintings. Otherwise, for the underpainting layers I use Holbein Mat Acrylics to lay in the colors and values. Usually there are 4 layers in my painting, so it’s like I’m making the same painting but adding more detail and smoothness with each thin layer.

NW: What do you want your audience to take away when they are viewing your work?

CME: I don’t really expect anything. I put things that I find important into it, and sometimes the audience connects to them on a very visceral level. They’re like, “OH man, my grandmother had these!” and they get that same feeling I have. Other times people are totally not interested in them, but I’m not too concerned with convincing everyone to find meaning or connection with my work. I’ve always approached art with the intention of bringing light to something I find interesting, and if people don’t connect to it that’s totally ok with me.

NW: Your other series, the Faux Landscape, can you tell me a little about that?

CME: With the figures I was really interested in how our brain makes that leap to how we label and represent things, so I got interested in the idea of representation on a whole. I started these landscapes that are kind of based in environmentalism, because we’re getting further and further away from the land. We’re not connected to what we eat, and we don’t know where out food comes from. For example, as a kid, I didn’t know how pineapples grew until I went to Panama and saw a pineapple coming out of the ground. I think about the disconnect that we have from the land and how we treat it so poorly. I think that’s a big thing right now and I wanted to show that, so I started to represent things as disconnected as I could get them, like a cloud on a green sky or a lightning bolt made of paperclips. People can make that connection while it’s not the real thing. I’m intrigued by that idea, so I keep making them. I’m not sure where it’s going to go yet.

NW: Is there anything you’re currently experimenting with? Any future projects you’re thinking about?

CME: I have a lot of things… my sketchbooks are full of ideas. I’m not one of those people who contemplates, “What am I going to do next?” I don’t have enough time for all the work I want to do. I always have to edit down my ideas, which ends up being a good thing because it helps to refine a bit more. I’m continuing the landscapes series and am going to hit heavier in that this year and maybe combine them with some animals. I’ve shown the figurines and landscapes together a few times for specific shows but not from a set body of work that intentionally combines them, so that’s one thing I’m looking to do. I’m also looking to learn how to cast porcelain because I’d like to make some of my own figurines and objects to put in my paintings. I have been building the landscape objects on my own, but I’ve just begun to dabble again in sculpture. I’m interested in making the things that I paint and then painting the things that I make, and creating a strange feedback loop to see what happens.

NW: What is the dynamic like of being an instructor and a studio artist?

CME: I feel like I get as much out of teaching my students as they hopefully get from taking my classes. I’m always teaching new classes - it’s kind of the double edge sword of being an adjunct instructor. You get thrown into things that you’re not necessarily prepared for or have a lot of experience in, so you have to build up that experience to be able to teach it well. Often times you get thrown into unknown situations while teaching where you have to pick something up on the fly - which has really helped me in my own studio work. Teaching color theory has been awesome because I feel like it has pushed color in my own work. I teach a lot of foundations classes and repeating teaching these courses which cover the basic elements of design and art makes me think of them in the context to my own work. I’ve also taught art history and art appreciation lecture courses, which is were of my comfort zone, and they really helped me to put my work in historical context and to be able to talk about it more intelligently.

NW: Do you have any advice for fellow artists that are pursuing a field of having a studio practice and teaching?

CME: That’s a hard one because I think that the teaching world is so difficult right now with higher education and the state that it’s in. I don’t mean to sound negative, but I think focusing on your studio practice is the most important thing and not marrying yourself to the idea of being a tenure-track professor. Realistically saying, “Ok if I’m going to adjunct for 10 years,” which is what I’ve done, “and make this salary which is not exorbitantly high, what do I need to do financially to get myself in the shape to do that? How do I need to live? I’m not going to be able to live in a huge city, be able to pay my bills, and make art without having a part time job on the side. Or do I live in a small town and lose some of that connection of a larger city, but be able to make art half time and work half time?” Go into it without the expectation of landing a full-time teaching gig, and have backup plans that you’re comfortable with. If you can’t get a great teaching job, or the teaching job doesn’t pay well, you can always work at a bank, or a non-profit, or in a museum setting where you can make your own work and be 100% happy.  Lastly – if you are going to graduate school, try to find a program that will give you a tuition waiver and stipend.  Graduating without or with very little debt opens up your possibilities greatly after graduation.

NW: One more question: is there anything you’re looking forward to for 2018? What’s the next big thing?

CME: I have a break in my schedule and I put it in there intentionally. I’m excited about getting back into the studio and to have some time to hash out ideas without having a certain deadline in mind. When I have a chunk of time and no deadline, I’m probably more productive because then I can do what I want and I really enjoy my time in the studio.  My husband and I are also expecting our first child – a boy – in July, so this year will be a year of exciting transitions and shifts all around.  When my life changes my work always shifts, so it will be an adventure for sure to see how this new person will impact the work I make!

 

Visit Cassie Marie Edwards online to see an extended selection of her portfolio. http://www.cassiemarie.com/

 Interview with Cassie Marie Edwards by Nicole Woodard

I had a chance to ask Tim Abel a few questions in anticipation of our August exhibition opening on August 3rd.

1. Can you tell me a bit about yourself?

My family and I very recently moved back to the midwest, and often say I am midwestern-ish. I grew up and have lived around Lake Michigan and the upper Midwest for a good portion of my life. That being said, I have lived in seven places in the past seven years.  Being a practicing artist and also being connected to the community I am participating in is important to me, so I have channeled this impulse into being a community-based art educator. Alongside my artmaking practice, I am also currently the Museum Education Manager at the Tarble Arts Center at Eastern Illinois University. 

2. What first Inspired you to begin working?

I feel like I have always felt the need to make art. Ironically though, it wasn't until I was in my MFA program, that I finally felt the real confidence that I could call myself an artist. 

3. What is your studio like?

It is very chaotic at the moment, as I am in the throes of unpacking. Honestly, outside of unpacking, I think I work in a mode of controlled chaos. I work in fragments of time, so I try to have multiple projects going. 

4. What are some of your rituals in the studio to get the momentum going? Do you listen to certain music, podcasts, require a nice cup of coffee?

My ritual is called bedtime. If I can get my two boys (who are two and seven) to sleep before 10:00, then I have studio time.  As a way to be realistic about this ultimate fragmenting of time, I try to keep a running wall of small works. It could be a fragment of fabric, a photo I found during the day, or a small paper collage, or older work that finds resonance. I see this as a gathering practice: it gives me a chance to add a single element, re-arrange or contextualize a larger work that I am working through. I think of the individual elements as something akin to quilt blocks, and the whole arrangement becomes an ever-evolving wall quilt. This gives me a chance to work, even in small moments. I also keep as many larger projects going at one time as I can, so that I can be ready if I get a moment of focused time.

5. Can you talk a little about your process and your use of common materials?

For the last three years, I have been documenting pattern big and small, almost on a daily basis. Sometimes this means taking a photo, sometimes I end up finding a scrap of something on a walk, sometimes I make a small work. This is all in response to my moving through the world and trying to find some order in the relative chaos. I also use this meditation on pattern to square the fact that the world moves at a much larger scale to the relatively small human scale that is the current chaos of politics and culture.

I am really interested in using materials that are overlooked as art materials. I am interested in shifting the relationship I have to these materials, like a single-use plastic bag, and transforming it into something else. Using materials that come my way provides an intuitive palette and gives me a chance to experiment with surface and texture. I am also very aware of the hybrid life my consumption then takes on and have become really aware of the amount of plastic and kinds of plastic that filter through my life. 

6. What do you do when you are not ‘feeling’ a painting in progress? How do you overcome ‘failure’?

I am a huge fan of revision, and I often revisit work until I feel like it has resolved itself. For instance, I just completed a piece that I began in 2014 that I finally feel like has a firm boundary on itself. I also move very slowly with the work, so I often will start in a direction, then change it, re-sew it, paint it over in the course of the cycle of making. I also allow myself to know that no one day will be a day that I have to make a monumental work, and that working in increments or doing a small amount of work is a success. 

7. What is the most inspiring place you have been to?

A few years ago, I had the chance to go take a tour of the Kohler ceramic and foundry industry buildings. I loved being able to see the full process: seeing the grit and the slag turn into highly polished porcelain and highly finished metal. 

8. Other than painting, do you have any other interests or hobbies?

I love being with my family: inviting my boys into the studio, exploring new places with my family, playing at parks. I also have major wanderlust and watch terrible sci-fi movies when I have a chance. 

9. If you could go back in time and give yourself advice as an undergraduate pursuing your BA, what advice would you give?

This is a complicated question for me to pull apart. I think the simplest response would be: 1. believe in yourself 2. make sure any graduate program provides full funding. The long game of student loans is not pleasant.

10. What/Who are influences for your work?

Anni Albers, Beth Lipman, Gee's Bend quilters, Hank Willis Thomas' We The People quilt project, Mark Bradford, Robert Rauschenberg, Kurt Schwitters Merzbau works, research about plastic degradation and pollution, deep geologic time, man-made patterns and the need for seeing patterns and order. 

11. What are you working on right now?

I am currently interested in seeing how I can use quilting patterns and sew using modular shapes to create new emergent patterned plastic textiles. So, I may cut apart a Target bag, and find a new pattern or collect packing plastic for its subtle shifts in color or collect the plastic sleeves of a delivered newspaper. These things get combined and re-combined with fabrics and painted paper I have found and made, to make something new. I like how the story of their origin gets wrapped into the new thing that it becomes