Jury - 2023 CHESTER COUNTY STUDIO TOUR

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Light is the first thought of painters..." and in my recent work I've been continuing my lifelong exploration of the idea that the original purpose of art is to illuminate the hidden truths that inspire both the artist and the viewer to perhaps go deeper within to the place where we're all connected. I find my art moving between three different styles that all point to this idea of illumination. My "New Book of Kells" series is a 21st-century take on 9th-century illuminated Celtic manuscripts in mixed media (metal, wood, gems). The "Spirit of Place" pieces are made of mostly found materials collected in nearby fields and assembled into functional art like heart mirrors, "Open" signs—a take on barn art indigenous to southeast Pa., and mystical patterns of nature painted on wood tables and leather drumheads. Lastly, the Sanctuary of the Heart paintings are inspired by the poetry and stories of the great luminary poets like Rumi and Hafiz.