We’ve all drawn stuff in the sand as kids, but never imagined it as more than a means for some lazy afternoon fun. What drew you to use the beach as a canvas?
I "paint" on the beach primarily because of the enormous space it offers to create with. The beach is an amazing canvas, albeit not a very reliable one. It is different every time I visit.
I love being able to create in such a wonderful environment. Despite being at the edge of a large city, simply being on the shore erases everything else around me.
And working with this medium, there is no mess to clean up, nothing to put away or store(!). The ocean prepares a fresh canvas daily.
You’ve spoken about the significance of the impermanence of your work, but how does it make you feel when the tide eventually washes your work away? Do you ever stay and watch?
Sometimes the end comes dramatically, as in eroding major sections of the artwork all at once (a number of times while I was still at work). Sometimes it occurs more slowly, a little bit at a time. I stay long enough to appreciate the creation. But truly, for me it is the act of making it that generates the life of the art and my connection to it.
The nature of impermanence is a major element of this art. There are many artforms far more ephemeral than my creations.However, I think it is the grandeur of my art that makes their ephemeral quality stand out dramatically. There is foreknowledge of the art's eminent demise. And that has people stopping to take notice.
What does your art aim to achieve?
I had grand motives when I first started. At the beginning my designs were all geometric, mandala-esque. While not versed in lineages that engaged such symbols, I recognized the consciousness raising power of the designs I was creating. I started printing and giving away postcards envisioning them adorning fridges, office cubicles, and altars, places of high visibility to be a constant offering.
However, I have never intended to send any particular message with my art (the exception-I made the Biohazard symbol in response to a recent oil spill in the SF bay). The messages of any particular artwork comes through in its own time and manner. In this way my art has actually influenced my own consciousness. There have been designs that once made into a card and hung on my wall, I would unexpectedly receive insights that have proven beneficial in navigating life.
Ultimately my desire is to offer wonder and positivity into the world in a way that sparks contemplation.
What nurtured your fascination with organic patterns and fractals?
The main motivator has been the level of personal insight I have received from exploring mandalas, fractals, and natural pattern, moires.
I have always had an interest in patterns. It was awakened in a big way while exploring pathways of energy made tangible through body-oriented disciplines such as contact improvisation and martial arts among others . The art that arose was a representation of the energy I experienced in my movement practices.
I began to see the pathways of energy represented in patterns found in nature, the patterns of life expressing itself. This is when I was able to move from making geometric art to making the organic designs. Fractals feels alive. Patterns found in nature suggest life happening or having happened. That is translated into the organic art I make- it often feels alive. In a way it is alive, for the designs have 'grown' in the way that a fractal does.When I tapped into the aspect of 'growing' a design, suddenly the art was able to get very very large while also responsive to the conditions on the beach in the moment.
Everybody has their own perception of your work. What is your personal relationship with your art?
The exploration and development that goes into the art has elevated and continues to elevate my being. It feeds my soul on so many fronts that I couldn't see my life without some creative pursuit.
Where do you see yourself and your art 10 years from now?I am about to make a big move and settle in the desert. The art will shift to reflect my new environment. I see that new directions will continue to arise but that there is a common thread through my arts. Whatever I will be exploring in 10 years will be potent and will add to the body I have created. A tangible desire is to take my art around the world and involve others in it.
I "paint" on the beach primarily because of the enormous space it offers to create with. The beach is an amazing canvas, albeit not a very reliable one. It is different every time I visit.
I love being able to create in such a wonderful environment. Despite being at the edge of a large city, simply being on the shore erases everything else around me.
And working with this medium, there is no mess to clean up, nothing to put away or store(!). The ocean prepares a fresh canvas daily.
You’ve spoken about the significance of the impermanence of your work, but how does it make you feel when the tide eventually washes your work away? Do you ever stay and watch?
Sometimes the end comes dramatically, as in eroding major sections of the artwork all at once (a number of times while I was still at work). Sometimes it occurs more slowly, a little bit at a time. I stay long enough to appreciate the creation. But truly, for me it is the act of making it that generates the life of the art and my connection to it.
The nature of impermanence is a major element of this art. There are many artforms far more ephemeral than my creations.However, I think it is the grandeur of my art that makes their ephemeral quality stand out dramatically. There is foreknowledge of the art's eminent demise. And that has people stopping to take notice.
What does your art aim to achieve?
I had grand motives when I first started. At the beginning my designs were all geometric, mandala-esque. While not versed in lineages that engaged such symbols, I recognized the consciousness raising power of the designs I was creating. I started printing and giving away postcards envisioning them adorning fridges, office cubicles, and altars, places of high visibility to be a constant offering.
However, I have never intended to send any particular message with my art (the exception-I made the Biohazard symbol in response to a recent oil spill in the SF bay). The messages of any particular artwork comes through in its own time and manner. In this way my art has actually influenced my own consciousness. There have been designs that once made into a card and hung on my wall, I would unexpectedly receive insights that have proven beneficial in navigating life.
Ultimately my desire is to offer wonder and positivity into the world in a way that sparks contemplation.
What nurtured your fascination with organic patterns and fractals?
The main motivator has been the level of personal insight I have received from exploring mandalas, fractals, and natural pattern, moires.
I have always had an interest in patterns. It was awakened in a big way while exploring pathways of energy made tangible through body-oriented disciplines such as contact improvisation and martial arts among others . The art that arose was a representation of the energy I experienced in my movement practices.
I began to see the pathways of energy represented in patterns found in nature, the patterns of life expressing itself. This is when I was able to move from making geometric art to making the organic designs. Fractals feels alive. Patterns found in nature suggest life happening or having happened. That is translated into the organic art I make- it often feels alive. In a way it is alive, for the designs have 'grown' in the way that a fractal does.When I tapped into the aspect of 'growing' a design, suddenly the art was able to get very very large while also responsive to the conditions on the beach in the moment.
Everybody has their own perception of your work. What is your personal relationship with your art?
The exploration and development that goes into the art has elevated and continues to elevate my being. It feeds my soul on so many fronts that I couldn't see my life without some creative pursuit.
Where do you see yourself and your art 10 years from now?I am about to make a big move and settle in the desert. The art will shift to reflect my new environment. I see that new directions will continue to arise but that there is a common thread through my arts. Whatever I will be exploring in 10 years will be potent and will add to the body I have created. A tangible desire is to take my art around the world and involve others in it.
