Dancing Bear Arts
I have always been a maker of things that whispered and beckoned to me, beginning with painted and cut out paper horses in girlhood. In a lifetime of branching out, what delighted as a child became a way of seeking a place in the universe. I see this impulse as a priceless gift, a wonderful ancient many limbed tree leafing and budding into paintings and mosaics, mixed media art and jewelry, ceramics and sculptures.
I love to surround myself with bits and pieces, pods and feathers, shells, paints and powders, beads, ribbons and jewelry bits and then puzzle out a composition using colors of earth, sea, and sky. I studied Art at Scripps College, where I became besotted with ceramics, Raku especially. Since then, I have been a visual presentation artist for numerous retailers throughout my long career. Now I am able to devote myself completely to artistic exploration and research. I love doing local art shows and festivals, and decided to see if I could present my work well enough online for people to really sense what it is like.. I hope you can, and I hope you experience a taste of the joy it brings me to create these pieces for you. It is rather like nurturing children and then releasing them to fly... exhilarating, but with a pang of sadness when they go.
My current fascination is with polymer clay, and I use it for most of the focal pieces in my mixed media work. From there, the piece evolves and grows out from the center like a mandala. My ceramic animal sculptures are something a bit different. There is a strong feeling of reverence I can feel when forming them in my hands, like a very personal form of meditation or prayer, almost as if they are coming to life in my hands. I keep discovering new elements and concepts to incorporate into my work..and the beauty of being a dabbler in everything is that it is is limitless.
My work is generally fairly small, and find that I see the sacred infinite in the intimate detail. As I live in small space, a cozy yellow two story garage with studio below and living space, I think it lovely to make small sacred objects for the personal altar or sacred spaces so many of us cherish. My space is high on a hill and the wild canyon country all around me is my inspiration always. Surrounded by wildlife, cliffs, trees, creeks, foothills, everything a soul could ever wish for, i feel so very grateful. I have a dear french bulldog named Tonka who is my constant companion, along with a visiting neighbor cat and all sorts of birds feeding at my window...muses all.
I perceive my pieces as little songs of homage to the beauty all around me. The ocean is also something i find respite in. I lived in Laguna Canyon in the 70's, and still go there to visit and refill my well. So ocean dwellers often show up in my work too. Overall, I love the magic of mythology and the sacred imagery of many cultures, primitive and contemporary.
There is a great fondness for the Zen Buddhist, Native American, Latin American, and Hindu traditions. These all seem to blend into a balanced outlook which has room enough for both wonder and laughter.
I love to surround myself with bits and pieces, pods and feathers, shells, paints and powders, beads, ribbons and jewelry bits and then puzzle out a composition using colors of earth, sea, and sky. I studied Art at Scripps College, where I became besotted with ceramics, Raku especially. Since then, I have been a visual presentation artist for numerous retailers throughout my long career. Now I am able to devote myself completely to artistic exploration and research. I love doing local art shows and festivals, and decided to see if I could present my work well enough online for people to really sense what it is like.. I hope you can, and I hope you experience a taste of the joy it brings me to create these pieces for you. It is rather like nurturing children and then releasing them to fly... exhilarating, but with a pang of sadness when they go.
My current fascination is with polymer clay, and I use it for most of the focal pieces in my mixed media work. From there, the piece evolves and grows out from the center like a mandala. My ceramic animal sculptures are something a bit different. There is a strong feeling of reverence I can feel when forming them in my hands, like a very personal form of meditation or prayer, almost as if they are coming to life in my hands. I keep discovering new elements and concepts to incorporate into my work..and the beauty of being a dabbler in everything is that it is is limitless.
My work is generally fairly small, and find that I see the sacred infinite in the intimate detail. As I live in small space, a cozy yellow two story garage with studio below and living space, I think it lovely to make small sacred objects for the personal altar or sacred spaces so many of us cherish. My space is high on a hill and the wild canyon country all around me is my inspiration always. Surrounded by wildlife, cliffs, trees, creeks, foothills, everything a soul could ever wish for, i feel so very grateful. I have a dear french bulldog named Tonka who is my constant companion, along with a visiting neighbor cat and all sorts of birds feeding at my window...muses all.
I perceive my pieces as little songs of homage to the beauty all around me. The ocean is also something i find respite in. I lived in Laguna Canyon in the 70's, and still go there to visit and refill my well. So ocean dwellers often show up in my work too. Overall, I love the magic of mythology and the sacred imagery of many cultures, primitive and contemporary.
There is a great fondness for the Zen Buddhist, Native American, Latin American, and Hindu traditions. These all seem to blend into a balanced outlook which has room enough for both wonder and laughter.