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As I was trained as a painter, working in fiber gives me an unprecedented feeling of freedom: I am able to make up my own rules.
My dense, bas-relief embroideries have been inspired by obsessive folk art embroidery that makes one's fingers ache just looking at it. My human hair embroideries utilize the most potent art medium one would imagine: each hair is like the rings of a tree, containing the life story of its owner.
2018, embroidery on found cross stitch, 96 beads & sequins (one for every gun death per day in the U.S.), 28 x 16" (working image)
2021, official MAGA hat, letters from deconstructed MAGA hat pieced together and appliqued to the front, with embroidery. 5 x 6 x 10”. Working photo.
2020, deconstructed MAGA hats, cotton, thread, 5 x 8.5 x 4", from the MAGA Hat Collection. (working photo). I cut up individual MAGA letters and pieced them together to make the new text.
2020, deconstructed MAGA hats, cotton, thread, 5 x 8.5 x 4", from the MAGA Hat Collection. (working photo). I cut up individual MAGA letters and pieced them together to make the new text.
2019-2021, deconstructed MAGA hats, cotton, thread, 28 x 9 x 12", edition of 3. Manuel De Santaren collection, two remaining.
2019, armband made of deconstructed MAGA hats, cotton, thread, 5 1/4 x 6 x 6”. Alfred Jan Collection, San Francisco
2019, unravelled authentic MAGA hat (ripped apart thread by thread), baseball cap display case (mirrors, plexiglass, wood), engraved brass plate, 8 x 9 x 8.5”.
2019 - 2022, 57 x 112”, cotton U.S. flag, thread. All the machine-embroidered white stars ripped out and replaced with hand-embroidered stars representing all the melanin scale skin tones of U.S. citizens. See American Diversity Flag for backstory.
2019 - 2022, 57 x 112”, cotton U.S. flag, thread. All the machine-embroidered white stars were ripped out and replaced with hand-embroidered stars representing all the melanin scale skin tones of U.S. citizens. See American Diversity Flag for backstory.
2008, 22.5 x 104", embroidery on deconstructed flag, batting. Center is padded, like a band-aid.
2018, crowdsourced grey hair from people who have experienced profound loss hand embroidered on cotton, acrylic, 33 x 23”
2018, crowdsourced grey hair from people who have experienced profound loss hand embroidered on cotton, acrylic, 33 x 23”
2019, deconstructed MAGA hats, buckram, cotton, thread, sewn into handmaid’s bonnet, 13” x 9” x 8”
2019, Deconstructed MAGA hats, child’s sleeping mat, mylar blanket, thread, felt, hand embroidery on cotton, buckram 48 x 22 x 3"
hand embroidery on cotton over buckram
2019, deconstructed MAGA hats, taxidermied sheep head. (working photo)
2019, hand embroidery on cotton, 10.5 x 13” (with I.M.)
2015, acrylic, embroidery on cotton velvet, 72 x 48”
2019, hand embroidery on vintage apron, detailing one day of emotional labor. (working photo) Made with the assistance of Karl Lista.
2019, hand embroidery on vintage apron, detailing one day of emotional labor. (working photos) Made with the assistance of Karl Lista.
2015, embroidery on black cotton velvet, 16 x 12"
2015, embroidery on velvet, 16 x 12” oval
2012, embroidery and mended cut on black velvet, 20 x 16", Private Collection.
2015, embroidery & beading on found plush animal, sheet, pillowcase, pillow, 22 x 25 x 15”
2013, embroidery on fabric from men's pants, 13 x 17" (done in collaboration with G.K.) (working photo)
2013, embroidery on fabric from men's pants, 13 x 17" (done in collaboration with G.K. / working photo)
2012, hair embroidery on mother's hair from gestation period, threads from unraveled pillowcase, 3 x 5 x 5". Embroidered text reads, "decades of dreaming of you...". Nina Fuentes collection, Miami.
egg from unraveled threads of my pillowcase during gestation
2010, mother's hair from gestation period embroidered on child's garment, velvet, 14 x 15"
2013, mother's hair from gestation period embroidered on found dress, velvet, 20 x 25". Collection of the artist.
2014, 33 x 22", grey hair of many women, hand embroidered on black cotton. James Swope & Scott Robertson collection, West Palm Beach.
2013, embroidery on human hair, black velvet, silver frame and convex glass, 3 x 3", 12 x 12" framed.
2013, embroidery on human hair, 3 x 3" 10 x 10" framed
2013, human hair embroidery on hair, velvet, convex glass, frame, 7 x 4" piece, 12 x 9" framed
2012, human hair embroidery on artist's hair, frame, convex glass, 3 x 3", 12 x 12" framed
human hair embroidery on found doily, human eyelashes, hand dyed velvet, convex glass, frame, 9 x 12" oval framed. Collection of Isabelle Bellis, NYC.
2006, human hair embroidery on cotton, convex glass, frame, 7 x 5" framed
2008, human hair embroidery on found linen doily, hand-dyed velvet, convex glass, frame, 9 x 9", 13 x 13" framed.
2003, human hair embroidery on pillowcase, pillow, 20 x 30 x 10"
2006, human hair embroidery on pillowcase, 20 x 30 x 10"
2005, human hair embroidery with individual strands threaded through the pillowcase, pillow
2001, human hair embroidery on pillowcase, pillow, 20 x 30 x 10"
2003, ink on pillowcase, pillow, 20 x 30 x 10".
2005, embroidery on red velvet, 24 x 18". David Gorman collection, NYC.
2009, hand dyed velvet, standard & 3D embroidery, batting, taffeta, convex glass, frame, 21" round
“Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” – Elizabeth Stone
2010, baby shoes, baby blankets, embroidery, convex glass, frame, 18" round
2001, wool, nails, embroidered velvet, 45 x 28 x 12”. Major veins & arteries of the body embroidered inside. Belger Family Foundation Collection, Kansas City
2000, fabric, pearls, hand embroidery, size 6
2001, hand sewn velvet, satin, fake pearls, embroidery, spring loaded purse frame, 5 x 9 x 5”
2002, hand sewn, hand dyed velvet, wire, shaped shells, spring-loaded purse frame, 10 x 14 x 7"
2001, dyed & hardened vintage leather gloves, 13 x 4 x 3.5”
2001, hand dyed velvet, fake pearls in June Northern Hemisphere constellations, size 6
2001, hand painted silk organza, handcut organza leaves, machine embroidery, wall-mounted fan, size 8
2002, silk dress, discharged at contact points of last embrace, overdyed, size 10
2002, cotton voile, machine embroidery, distressing, dye, size 8. Text mantra across dress reads "I am not them, I am not them..." Text dissipates and deconstructs towards the bottom: "I am not..." to "I am..." to "I...". Sash, embroidered with the words "LOVE • GUILT • LOVE • GUILT..." wraps around the body several times before trailing onto the floor.
2002, Hand embroidery on double-layered dress. Text on under layer begins as white at the throat, then slowly becomes darker and knots up in the stomach. The text contains passive phrases, such as "I'm ok..... it doesn't matter", etc.
2007, embroidery on used studio overalls, size M
2007
2007, embroidery on used studio overalls
2008, embroidery on stdio overalls
2010, embroidery on used studio overalls
2010, embroidery on used studio dress, size 6
2011, embroidery on used studio overalls
2008-09, 20 x 16" oval, latex, gouache, embroidery on paper.
2012, embroidery, gouache, and latex on paper, 20 x 16" oval
My oil and acrylic paintings take anywhere from 3-12 months. Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe once said "God is in the details." In my work, the details are often painted with a 20/0 brush, and are vital to maximize psychological impact. In addition, I employ a time-consuming Renaissance glazing technique in my work. In this process, thin layers of transparent paint are applied to the surface of a painting. The darkest areas of the painting could have as many as 30 glazes on them. This technique creates the illusion that the lightest areas of the paintings are glowing, or giving off light. This is because light rays go through the transparent layers, hit the white of the gessoed canvas, and bounce back out at the viewer.
The light in the image carries content. Some areas have many layers of dark glazes, and this is a perceptual as well as psychological "pushing back" of the objects and what they represent This process replicates night vision, where the longer you look, the more you see. In this age of ever-shortening attention spans, I like to reward people for standing there and taking the time to really look.
I feel that the dedication and investment of time involved in my work is a defiant act in the age I find myself living in. I have never done assembly line paintings: I don't get an idea, then make 20 variations on it so that I will have a "series". Each painting is a full blown love affair, not an infatuation, and they are hard to give up. People often look at my work when it is half completed, and say "it's done, right?...what else could you do to it?" I don't stop working on a painting until there is nothing that I could possibly do to make it more powerful or more resonant.
"Gunlicker I", 2015, acrylic & oil on gatorboard, 20 x 16" oval
2016, oil and acrylic on Gatorboard, 20 x 16" (working photo)
(working photo), 2016, oil and acrylic on gatorboard, 17.5 x 18"
2015, oil & acrylic on Gatorboard, 20 x 16" (working photo)
(working photo)
2015-2018, oil, acrylic & gold leaf on canvas, 72 x 50.25"
"Storm", acrylic, embroidery on cotton velvet, 72 x 48”, 2015
2010, latex, watercolor, and gouache on paper, 24 x 14"
2010, gouache on paper, glitter frame, 18 x 22"
2010, gouache on paper, two 11 x 14" pieces
2014, gouache & Prismacolor pencil on paper, 24 x 18"
2010, watercolor and gouache on paper, 24 x 18"
2007, acrylic / oil on canvas, 79 x 116" triangular shaped canvas
2006, 88 x 60", oil & acrylic on linen
2008-09, 20 x 16" oval, latex, gouache, embroidery on paper.
2012, embroidery, gouache, and latex on paper, 20 x 16" oval
2007, oil, gesso, found carpet, 60 x 24” (destroyed)
2000, oil on canvas, assorted sizes, all life-size features
1997, oil on canvas, 60 x 38”
2000, acrylic/oil on canvas, 72 x 96”
2005, acrylic & oil on panel, 24 x 18"
2004, encaustic (wax) on masonite, 24 x 18”
2005, embroidery on red velvet, 24 x 18". David Gorman collection, NYC
2007, oil, black gesso on masonite, 24 x 18”
2001, acrylic/oil on canvas, 70 x 42”
Frost Museum Installation, all encaustic on double layer of wood, 4 x 3"
Frost Museum Installation, all encaustic on double layer of wood, 4 x 3"
2004, encaustic (wax) on wood (two layers), 4 x 3”. James Swope & Scott Robertson collection, West Palm Beach
2004, encaustic on double layer of wood, 4 x 3". Frost Museum Collection.
1997, oil/canvas, 36 x 62”
2001, acrylic/oil on canvas, 62 x 72”
1997, oil on canvas, 30 x 20"
1996, acrylic/oil on masonite, 16 x 20”. Jeff Speck collection
1996, acrylic/oil/masonite, 24 x 18”. Sarah Petruziello collection
1994, acrylic/oil on canvas, 64 x 60”
1996, oil on canvas, 73 x 56”. Private collection, France
1994, acrylic / oil / linen, 72 x 72”
1994, acrylic/oil on linen, 38 x 54". Carol Stavropoulos collection
1994, acrylic / oil / linen, 41 x 65”
2006, oil on canvas, 36 x 48"
1998, acrylic/oil on canvas, 52 x 40”. Jeff Speck collection, Washington, DC
1992, acrylic/oil on canvas, 51 x 62”. Morris Corporation Public Art Fund collection
oil on canvas, 30 x 20", Sam Furiness collection.
1994, acrylic/oil on canvas, Carol Stavrapoulos collection
2000, oil on canvas, assorted sizes, all life size features
For a broader definition of “drawings”, please see my Pyrography page and my Hair Embroidery page.
2018, graphite on paper, 14 x 11". After a detail of a Joseph Desiree Court painting.
2018, Prismacolor pencil on Rives BFK paper, 14 x 16 inches (prints available in Shop)
2017, Prismacolor pencil on black Rives BFK paper, 20 x 16". (posters/stickers available in our shop)
2017, Prismacolor pencil on Arches Cover, 12 x 9 inches
(created for Hyperallergic's "Drawing In A Time Of Fear & Lies" series)
2017, 10 x 8", Primacolor pencil on black Rives BFK paper (working photo)
2017, 10 x 8", Prismacolor Pencil on black Rives BFK paper (working photo)
2017, 10 x 8", Prismacolor Pencil on black Rives BFK paper (working photo)
2017, 10 x 8", Prismacolor Pencil on black Rives BFK paper (working photo)
2017, 10 x 8", Prismacolor Pencil on black Rives BFK paper (working photo)
2017, 10 x 8", Prismacolor Pencil on black Rives BFK paper (working photo)
2017, 10 x 8", Prismacolor Pencil on black Rives BFK paper (working photo)
2017, 10 x 8", Prismacolor Pencil on black Rives BFK paper (working photo)
2017, 10 x 8", Prismacolor Pencil on black Rives BFK paper (working photo)
2017, 10 x 8", Prismacolor Pencil on black Rives BFK paper (working photo)
2017, 10 x 8", Prismacolor Pencil on black Rives BFK paper (working photo)
2017, 10 x 8", Prismacolor Pencil on black Rives BFK paper (working photo)
2017, 10 x 8", Primacolor pencil on black Rives BFK paper (working photo)
2017, 10 x 8", Prismacolor on black Rive BFK paper, (working photo) Matthew Clay-Robison collection.
2015, ink on paper, 13 x 24"
2015, 18 x 24", ink and photograph on paper
2019, silverpoint on found ladle, 5.5 x 2 x 2”. Thomas Durst collection, San Francisco.
2019, silverpoint on found silver ladle, 5.5 x 2 x 2.5”. Thomas Durst collection.
2013, tarnished silverpoint on found ladle, oil, 7 x 2.5 x 1.5".
2013, tarnished silverpoint on found ladle, oil, 7 x 2.5 x 1.5".
2012, silverpoint on found ladle, 11 x 3.5 x 3". Nina Fuentes Collection, Miami
2013, tarnished silverpoint on found knife, 5.5 x .75"
2013, tarnished silverpoint on found ladle, 7 x 2.5 x 1.5"
2011, tarnished silverpoint on found cup, 2.25 x 5 x 2.75"
2011, tarnished silverpoint on found spoon, 1.5 x 5.5 x 1". Mike Watson collection, Miami
2013, tarnished silverpoint on silver spoon, 1 x 6 x .5". James Swope & Scott Robertson collection, West Palm Beach
2013, tarnished silverpoint on silver spoon, 1 x 6 x .5", Barbara Watts Collection, Miami
tarnished silverpoint on found spoon, 8 x 1.75 x 1". Eileen Brengle collection, Washington, D.C.
2013, tarnished silverpoint on found spoon, 8 x 1.75 x 1".
2009 -2010, blood on paper, 64 pieces, 3 x 4" each. Collection of the artist.
1997, charcoal, Prismacolor, rainwater on paper, 26 x 19"
2000, Prismacolor / charcoal on paper, 36 x 28”
2000, Prismacolor & collage on black paper, 26 x 19"
2001, graphite drawing front & back and acrylic gel medium on tracing paper, hair, charm, 21 x 16"
detail, tree drawn on back of paper
hair & charm detail
2014, graphite on tracing paper, 24 x 18"
2012, graphite on paper, graphite on tissue paper, etched mirror, 20 x 16" oval. Patricio Wills and Adriana Santos Wills collection, Columbia & Miami
David Langston collection, Orlando, FL.
2010, etched mirror, graphite, paper, 20 x 16" oval. Collection David Langston.
2011, Prismacolor pencil on paper, 14 x 11"
graphite & watercolor on Somerset velvet paper, 88 x 60". Collection of the artist.
"RE/Production: Mothering" exhibition at the Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Bethanien, Berlin, 2011
1999, silverpoint on gessoed panel, 8 x 10". Nina Fuentes collection, Miami.
1994, silverpoint on gessoed paper, 22 x 32". Sam Furiness collection, Colorado.
Silverpoint is an ancient medium. Marks are made on a prepared surface with solid silver wire. You cannot erase, and the values are created by working over the surface repeatedly. It takes on a warm patina when it tarnishes. While most artists work on flat panels, I choose found silver objects as the grounds for my work.
Emotion is internal weather. Growing up in a highly dysfunctional family, tornadoes in my dreams have always felt like signals of impending doom, hovering on the horizon, a reminder to brace one’s self against the next disaster, while floods feel like overwhelming sorrow.
2012, silverpoint on found ladle, 11 x 3.5 x 3". Nina Fuentes Collection, Miami
2013, tarnished silverpoint and oil on found ladle, 7 x 2.5 x 1.5".
2011, tarnished silverpoint on found spoon, 1.5 x 5.5 x 1", Mike Watson collection, Miami
tarnished silverpoint on found spoon, 8 x 1.75 x 1".
2013, tarnished silverpoint on found spoon, 8 x 1.75 x 1". Eileen Brengle collection, Washington, D.C.
2013, tarnished silverpoint on silver spoon, 1 x 6 x .5". James Swope & Scott Robertson Collection, West Palm Beach.
2013, tarnished silverpoint on silver spoon, 1 x 6 x .5", Barbara Watts Collection, Miami
2013, tarnished silverpoint on found knife, 5.5 x .75".
2011, tarnished silverpoint on found cup, 2.25 x 5 x 2.75"
(The hair embroideries on pillowcases, as well as "Oubliette", were part of the "Pricked: Extreme Embroidery" exhibition at The Museum of Arts and Design in NYC.)
Believing that truth is often revealed in an intuitive, sentient manner, I choose content-appropriate, tactile materials, and seek to evoke an emotional, rather than intellectual, response to my work.
The early series of bed pillows embroidered with my own hair (and the hair of those once close to me) disclose nocturnal revelations. The embroidered mouth is positioned where the dreamer’s mouth would be, but this position also suggests the mouth of the subconscious, whispering into the ear of the dreamer. The scale and materials are intimate: the process of embroidery creates an intricate vision, composed of threads as fragile as those that make up our dreams. “Dream.” and “Threat of Heavy Weather” feature an open mouth revealing what is normally kept hidden, a psychological maelstrom. “My Young Lover” uses the hair of an ex-boyfriend, threading each hair through the pillowcase so it appears to “grow” out of the pillow to cascade around the embroidered ear and across the pillow. “Ebb.” uses human eyelashes that protrude from the surface of the pillow.
Some work is embroidered on fabric that is stretched under convex glass in a Victorian oval frame to emphasize the relic-like nature of the pieces. The most recent work features hair with especially strong significance: there is a suite of objects made from the hair that was on my head during the gestation period when I was carrying my daughter. Another work, "Une Femme D'Un Certain Age", is sewn with the grey hair of many women. Human hair is like the rings of a tree: it records periods of illness, stress, hormonal changes, etc. For that reason, I find it to the be the most potent art medium one could possibly use.
The repetitive act of embroidery seems to be made for calming worry... trying to tie things down, sew them in, make them stay. Embroidering with hair possesses its own unique intensity: each barely perceptible stitch is like a rosary bead, marking a tiny but ardent prayer whispered over and over.
2006, human hair embroidery on cotton, convex glass, frame, 7 x 5" framed "
2008, human hair embroidery on found linen doily, hand-dyed velvet, convex glass, frame, 9 x 9", 13 x 13" framed. The embroidered area itself is a little under 2 x 3 ".
human hair embroidery on found doily, human eyelashes, hand dyed velvet, convex glass, frame, 9 x 12" oval framed. Collection of Isabelle Bellis, NYC.
2018, crowdsourced grey hair from people who have experienced profound loss hand embroidered on cotton, acrylic, 33 x 23”
2018, crowdsourced grey hair from people who have experienced profound loss hand embroidered on cotton, acrylic, 33 x 23”
2014, 33 x 22", grey hair of many women embroidered on black cotton. James Swope & Scott Robertson collection.
2012, hair embroidery on mother's hair from gestation period, threads from unraveled pillowcase, 3 x 5 x 5". Embroidered text reads, "decades of dreaming of you...". Nina Fuentes collection, Miami.
egg made from one of the pillowcases I slept on during pregnancy, unraveled.
2010, mother's hair from gestation period embroidered on child's garment, velvet, 14 x 15".
2013, mother's hair (artist's hair) from gestation period embroidered on found dress, velvet, 20 x 25. Collection of the artist.
2003, human hair embroidery on pillowcase, pillow, 20 x 30 x 10"
2005, human hair embroidery with individual strands threaded through the pillowcase, pillow, 20 x 30 x 10". My boyfriend gave me his hair in a box, claiming that Ioved his hair more than I loved him.
2006, human hair embroidery and human eyelashes on pillowcase, 20 x 30 x 10".
2001, human hair embroidery on pillowcase, pillow, 20 x 30 x 10"
2012, human hair embroidery on hair, velvet, convex glass, frame, 3" x 3", 11" x 11" framed
2013, cotton embroidery on grey hair, velvet, convex glass, 3 x 3", 11 x 11" framed
2013, embroidery on human hair, velvet, convex glass, frame. 3 x 3" 10 x 10" framed
2013, human hair embroidery on hair, velvet, convex glass, frame, 7 x 4" piece, 12 x 9" framed.
2018, cotton, thread, dollhouse handcuffs, dollhouse gun, miniature copy of Trump corporation cease and desist letter to the NY Times
2018, Gold over bronze, gold chain, gold charm, 4.5 x 2.5 x 8"
2017, Gold over bronze, gold chain, gold charm, 4.5 x 2.5 x 8"
2002, hand sewn, hand dyed velvet, wire, shaped shells, spring loaded purse frame, 10 x 14 x 7". Functional purse.
2001, hand sewn velvet, satin, fake pearls, embroidery, spring loaded purse frame, 5 x 9 x 5”
2001, dyed & shaped vintage leather gloves, 13 x 4 x 3.5”
2001, Velvet, hand quilted and embroidered with all the major veins & arteries of the body, batting, and wool coat with 150 lbs. roofing nails pushed through the surface, 45 x 28 x 12”. Belger Family Foundation collection, Kansas City.
2001, hand painted silk organza, hand cut organza leaves, machine embroidery, fan. Hung suspended from monofilament, with a wall-mounted fan high above to create flutter.
2000, wood and acrylic, 9 x 13 x 4”, Martyn J. Forrester collection, London
2014, embroidery & beading on found plush animal, sheet, pillowcase, pillow , 22 x 25 x 15”
2014, 13 x 6 x 3, brass lock, chain, cast High Density Polyethylene. This piece was conceived in response to a call for readymade art, and was exhibited in the 2014 "Readymade" exhibition at the American University Museum.
2004, military surplus metal ammo can, googly eyes, black silk velvet interior lining, 7 x 11 x 3.75" (working photos)
This body of work uses a traditionally male “craft” medium (burning images onto wood with a wood burning tool) to confront misogyny and the patriarchy. “One For The Team” specifically addresses the confluences between rape culture and sports culture.
Detail, Part 4 of 7. 2016, pyrography (wood burning) on tree slices, dimensions variable (2" rounds to 12" rounds).
Part 1 of 7, 6" round. New work: "One For The Team", 2016, pyrography (wood burning) on tree slices, dimensions variable (2" rounds to 12" rounds).
Part 2 of 7, 5" round. 2016, pyrography (wood burning) on tree slices, dimensions variable (2" rounds to 12" rounds).
Part 3 of 7, 3" round. New work: "One For The Team", 2016, pyrography (wood burning) on tree slices, dimensions variable (2" rounds to 12" rounds).
Part 4 of 7, 7" round. 2016, pyrography (wood burning) on tree slices, dimensions variable (2" rounds to 12" rounds).
Part 5 of 7, 3" Round. New work: "One For The Team", 2016, pyrography (wood burning) on tree slices, dimensions variable (2" rounds to 12" rounds).
Part 6 of 7, 12" round. 2016, pyrography (wood burning) on tree slices, dimensions variable (2" rounds to 12" rounds).
Part 7 of 7, 2" round. New work: "One For The Team", 2016, pyrography (wood burning) on tree slices, dimensions variable (2" rounds to 12" rounds).
2019, pyrography (wood burning) on wood panel, six 5.5 x 22 x 1” panels (working photo).
2018, pyrography (wood burning) on tree slices, three panels from 4-8" round
2018, pyrography (wood burning) on tree slices, 6” round.
Perhaps the most difficult and direct work from my “#bullyculture” series, documenting overlaps of bully culture in various aspects of our society.
2018, photo print on aluminum, two 12 x 12" panels
2018, photo print on aluminum, three 11 x 14" panels
2018, photo print on aluminum, four 11 x 14" panels
2019, photo prints on aluminum, four 11 x 14” panels
2017, 20 x 16", inkjet print of 20 superimposed mass shooter portraits on metal, edition of 3
