more or less an artist's statement:

I don't really hold with the whole concept of an artist's statement (as should become clear, I think), but rather this is some answer to the question of why I do what I do. And I will probably change or add to this now and then as I go.

For me, this whole art business is less about producing something that can be displayed (although I enjoy that) than about pursuing beauty. I live my life with eyes, mind, and fingers preoccupied with color, texture, shape, line, composition... and this means more to me than how many things I am able to hang on walls. Anyone who has tried to carry on a conversation with me in a yarn shop can attest to that, as well as anyone who's seen me trip over myself because I'm busy checking out graffiti or a bit of architecture or an old woman.

That's one reason I'm drawn to photography -- the idea of seeing and capturing something I find beautiful with a minimum of interference appeals to the distractable, ADD side of me. But on the other hand, I've done a few pieces that took (relatively) massive amounts of time and energy, and some of those are among my favorites.

I am not one for rules. Techniques have their place (I love experimenting with media and seeing what I can get them to do), but mostly for me they just get in the way. I try something, and if it doesn't work, I try something else. Rules, though? Bah. Useful for learning, perhaps, but otherwise... if colors look good together, if a photo is well-composed, if different materials can work together, why not? Do what you want, and if it doesn't work, do it differently.

Obviously I have a very populist view of art. For me, right now, art is as much about the living as the doing; and anyone can live, yeah? I've always been drawn to people, strangers, in my work. I'm constantly debating whether it's appropriate to go up to someone and say, "I think you're beautiful. Mind if I take your picture?" This populism feels essential to me. Just as I think everyone has the potential to do good things, I think everyone can be beautiful, and appreciate beauty, and make beauty.