I appreciate batik for its random results - the mixture of waxes, dyes, and fabric texture creates endless combinations of effects that are only revealed at the final step of the process ( see description).  Batik has little respect in the Fine Arts (perhaps because of its predominant use for tablecloths and beach sarongs!) but it fits my personality and style.  For me, the art form is an excuse to use vibrant colors and simple shapes to produce complex designs, without having to worry too much about the details - there are no "mistakes" in batik, and the drips, cracks and dye spills are all part of the creative process.

I believe that I have created a unique style through the use of a traditional media for contemporary and stylized images.  My inspiration for themes is based on my interests in music, sports, architecture, engineering, and the natural landscape.

In my latest work I have begun to bring my engineering background more to the forefront, using mixed media to create three-dimensional structural and truss components to layer over the batik.  Additionally, in my continued study of the human form, I am exploring the motion of dancers, aerial artists, and workmen through the objects that  connect these people in their activities.
 
I grew up in Massachusetts, live in Oakland, California,  studied Civil Engineering at Tufts University, and learned batik while a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Uruguay, South America. I am a self-taught artist.  

Thanks for visiting my site, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Awards
National Endowment for the Arts & D.C. Commission on the Arts Small Project Program grant recipient.  June, 2001.

Juried Exhibitions
October, 2004     “Open to Change”. Whitney Young Cultural Center Mansion, San Francisco.
June, 2004        “Summer Solstice Blues… and Yellows”.  Café Arrivederci, San Rafael.
May, 2001        Juried Online Arts Festival.
May, 2001        “Television: A visual dialogue about television and its relationship to the work week”.  San Mateo, California.
December, 2000    “Bikeworks: Celebrating bicycling in the nation’s capital”.  Platinum Club and Art Gallery, Washington D.C.

Publications
October, 2006        CD cover “Fool’s Journey” by Tara Linda
June, 2004        “A Guide to the Week Ahead”, San Rafael News Pointer
November, 2001    Featured in “Found Art”, Washington City Paper. Washington, D.C.
August, 1998        Cover of Watermarks literary magazine.  Washington, D.C. 
   
Selected Group Shows
January-June, 2006    Silver Gallery, San Francisco.
June, 2006        Matrii art show, San Francisco.
February, 2004        La Toscana Restaurant.  San Rafael, California.
June, 2003        Hall of Flowers.  Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.
October, 2002        Open Studios, San Francisco.
July, 2002        “Art of July”.  Marriott Copley Plaza, Boston.
April, 2002        Matrii art show, San Francisco.
June, 1999        “Summer art show and keg party”, Washington, D.C.
August, 1993        Intendencía Municipal de Arts and Crafts.  Montevideo, Uruguay.

Solo Shows
May- June, 2007    “California Landscapes”.  Eagles Nest Café, San Francisco.
October-Jan, 2006    “Waterscapes”.  San Francisco Bay Water Quality Control Board, Oakland.
May- Dec., 2003    Rock Soup Restaurant, San Francisco.
October, 2002        Open Studios, San Francisco.
September, 2001    “New Prints”. Washington, DC.