Armor

I moved to Rhode Island, from Glastonbury, Connecticut, after graduating from the University of Rhode Island in 1967. I have enjoyed a long and rewarding career as an elementary educator with the Coventry School Department. My further education has included a Masters of Special Education degree earned as a fellowship recipient at Rhode Island College (1985).

Eventually I found the time to take various art classes including Drawing, Oil Painting, Acrylic Painting, Figure Drawing, Pottery and Wood Carving. Three years ago I took my first Stone Carving class and discovered a medium that I thoroughly enjoy. My retirement from the Coventry School Department in 2004 has given me the luxury of time to pursue this interest. Last summer I attended a week-long workshop at The Carving Studio and Sculpture Center (Rutland, Vermont) which introduced me to marble carving. I am a member of the Portsmouth Arts Guild and two of my pieces were accepted for exhibit in their 2005 juried show.

Birnham Wood

7” x 10” x 9”

Wood & Granite

$500

Inspired by Brancusi

I’ve always felt the need to create. It is not an option for me; it is a necessity. Throughout my life I’ve experimented with various mediums and modes of self-expression as outlets for my creativity. Three years ago, as I registered for my first stone-carving class, my intent was to learn a bit about “another new thing”. Little did I realize the intense sense of satisfaction I would derive from this endeavor.

Passage

9” x 14” x 10 1/2”

Grey Alabaster

$750

Figure 2

Woman 2

Reclining Woman

11” x 20” x 7”

Pink Alabaster

$800

I’ve found that stone sculpting takes deep concentration, physical energy and vision. It also takes a great deal of time and a willingness to yield my will to the determination and limitations imposed by the stone itself. Yet, at the same time, it is exhilarating for me to enter the stone, interact with it and allow it to guide me to its final form.

The act of stone sculpting involves the use of many senses. I do not approach the stone with a preconceived idea or plan. Rather, I spend a good deal of time just looking at my material to allow it to inspire me. Sculpting then becomes a spontaneous act and, while I’m working, my piece changes constantly.

Canna

5” x 10” x 18”

White Alabaster

$700

Shadow Dance

4” x 12” x 13”

White Alabaster

$450

I step back and study the stone from different angles and I am very aware of the way that light falls on my work from each viewpoint. However, at times I also close my eyes and rely solely upon my sense of touch to guide me. As a result, I feel, my pieces are abstract forms, which are organic and sensual in nature and are inspired by the natural materials used in their creation.

I’ve often observed similar interactions occur as an individual approaches a piece of my sculpture. I love the way that the stone entices one to touch it and to move around it in order to see it from different points of view. This multi-sensory experience reflects my own interaction with the stone during my creative process. The net result, I hope, is a deeper connection between the viewer and my art.

Figure

6” x 7” x 18”

Pink Alabaster

$600