“I work with two brushes at all times, one to lay in the color, the other to control the diffusion of color with water.”

My creative process begins with gathering ideas and stories and developing a series of sketches that will eventually be put together in a full-sized drawing. This drawing will then be transferred to watercolor paper. My actual painting begins with a series of layers of transparent watercolor washes.

The smaller details are developed in the same manner, again using layers of transparent watercolor. I work with two brushes at all times, one to lay in the color, the other to control the diffusion of color with water. As the piece nears completion, the details are emphasized and the darkest pigments are laid in.

Some pieces are conceived with a “three-dimensional” aspect. These paintings include cutout and manipulated pieces that are layered on top of the original watercolor painting. Each of these cutouts is painted on the top and back surfaces as well as the edges. Some pieces also have traditional Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) raised beadwork or wampum (Quahog shell) beads sewn into the paper. These dimensional pieces require a “shadowbox” mat, foam core strips are mounted on the edges of the inner mat to achieve the necessary depth for the cutouts and an outer mat covers these.

All of my original work is framed using archival materials and conservation glass.