a non-profit gallery for the visual and performing arts

2833-A Hathaway Rd., Richmond, VA 23225
in the Stratford Hills Shopping Center

Gallery hours beginning Saturday, January 22, 2022:
Noon to 4pm, Tuesday - Sunday
Free and Open to the Public
Purchase artwork from our online store

Visions in Yellow and Orange
Glass seed beads on canvas board
$400.00

Artist Statement

"My work is the latest manifestation of my artistic journey. It is rooted in both formal training and personal exploration, with tenures as a University Art student, a Museum Educator, and currently as an Art Educator.

When i began creating this art, I wanted to use beads as the primary material; but I did not want to sew them onto fabric or make jewelry. So, I created a method that enables me to work with beads in ways that I find continually challenging and rewarding.

I find beads to be very conducive to my ongoing exploration of form and design. Using the human face as a foundation, my objective is to explore the abstraction of recognizeable forms. Beads are used to define the basic features as well as enhance them.

My studies of various African and Native American artistic traditions inform my work; as do various artistic traditions of Ancient Egypt. Living in the Caribbean for over 10 years, introduced me to "Carnival" and its dynamic combinations of color and movement. The beaded masks and costumes fueled my interest for using beads in my art. In addition, the light and colors of the tropics inspired me to capture that same vibrancy and energy in my artwork.

When I start a piece, I have a basic layout and one or two colors in mind. after that, a continuous 'inner conversation' determines what happens next. Sometimes the color combinations or patterns that I initially start with, do not work. It is in these moments of being "stuck" that I am challenged to let go of my "plan" and allow the solution to reveal itself.

Each time I finish a piece, I am amazed at the result. It is always personally surprising to me, how the colors and patterns come together beyond anything that I was able to anticipate or pre-plan. For this reason, i continue to find glass beads compelling as a medium. Glass beads enable me to explore my deep interests in color, pattern, and form in a way that reflects both graphic precision and boundless intuition."