The Process

Hi there!

I thought I’d share how this really works...

I head off to the beach with my backpack, my dog, Grace, and sometimes my Grand-puppy Theodore. My college aged children occasionally join me.  

 

The beach is wet, sandy, windy, and messy. And I'm in my zen, happy, "nature bubble" looking at the sky, the water, watching the dogs swim/play. All the while, I'm gathering beach glass, stones, driftwood, wire, plastic, etc. 

I'm forever getting hit by waves, tripping on debris, stepping in mud. And the dogs end up sandy, muddy, wet, and very happy creatures.  

I load up my backpack with salvaged items.  

Sort them by material, shape, size, color. 

I gather, cut, plane, paint, and seal the salvage wood--being careful to keep all 10 fingers and toes. The salvage wood is painted, or stained, as are my vintage frames. Also, beach materials must be properly cleaned and sealed. 

No, I don't scour Pinterest for ideas, or look at what other artists are doing. And I absolutely cannot draw, sew, paint pictures, or craft. 

The art I create is strictly in my head, dictated by the shapes, colors, textures of what I find. I see an idea, pull out my materials, and the art sort of arrives onto the canvas/salvage wood. Sometimes its easy, other times, its a struggle.

Clients frequently request custom designs for baby showers, birthdays, wedding gifts--and I figure out how to bring their idea to life with my materials. Odd as it sounds, I visualize what art can look like, what colors might play nice together, and I'm finished when it feels "right." 

By some miracle, I arrive at this... 

 

This is not a glamorous process, but the results are so worth it : )