When I lived in Portland as a young adult, the inspiration for my work was found on my daily walks through the city. As much as I love the cobblestone and brick that gives Portland its unique character, what always caught my eye were the invasive plants that tenaciously refused to be beaten into submission by concrete, asphalt, and brick. I would bring samples back to my studio and arrange them in minimal, stark compositions that highlighted their fascinating, twisting paths through space. I never rendered them in the environment in which I found them, juxtaposing them with the manmade materials where they grew. Instead, I isolated them, allowing them to create their own space as they flowed elegantly across paper or canvas.

I now live in Camden, and my most recent work has evolved to include a series of landscapes inspired by the gorgeous scenery of the midcoast. So when I was invited to participate in the biannual Portland show, I knew exactly what I wanted to draw.

These two drawings of bittersweet vine combine my years of rendering invasive plants with great detail and precision, allowing them to activate the page by carving a path through the space, but now I have placed them in their natural habitat. Of course, given my ongoing dedication to natural forms, I had to find my compositions along the shore, so I headed to the eastern prom to get an ocean backdrop. These two pieces feel like coming full circle, returning to the city where I began my career as a young adult, rendering a marvelously twisty, steadfast vine, framed within the stunning Maine landscape that inspires and beckons so many people to our beautiful state.

Bittersweet

Searching for Serenity