I believe that drawing is the foundation, basis, and jumping–off point for all of the visual arts. Throughout my career as a practicing artist, I have used drawing to flesh out and develop two– and three–dimensional ideas. I also use drawing as a way to explore ideas of form, fashion, and design. For me, the pleasure of drawing is derived from its tactility and simplicity as well as the immediacy of the process. Manipulating marks and materials directly helps to maintain the expressive quality I want in my work.

While these series take months to complete, they are executed in a style that is direct and unrestrained. The inherent value and importance of these fashion symbols are challenged by a drawing style that is deliberately messy and unglamorous. The dresses in this series, while continuing the “ghostly” appearance, now have an implied sense of movement and are drawn with charcoal. Close examination reveals an up close partial portrait of a female face rendered with graphite on the paper base. Charcoal is also used to draw the rings that are cut out of sewn papers. The finished image is then sewn to the larger drawing. This series continues to ask the viewer what is valuable, while allowing me to make works that are visually complex. There are six drawings in this series.