Drawing has always been a useful tool in my life. I can note my thoughts for later referal, work out ideas, and discover problems that I had not anticipated when the idea was only cerebral. Also drawing is the most convenient way to work- it requires little space, set up time, advance preparation, or even a set time commitment. For these reasons alone I would choose to produce most of my work by drawing but I also enjoy the physical process of drawing itself and its fine craftsmanship is very important to me. This is why I have been attracted to silverpoint drawing. This old technique is especially demanding because of the inability to erase. This has caused my whole approach to drawing and seeing to change. I enjoy the slow building of value. I like the way the silver ages and takes on a daguerreotype quality. I strive to make my hand almost imperceivable so that the piece will become more and more about the form and content. Any thoughts of the artist might occur later, if at all.

While the trompe l'oeil leaves started as a challenging exercise for myself, I quickly realized that therein there is a rich intellectual content. In this body of work the leaf becomes a metaphor for the individual. The pieces are meditations on individuality and mortality- typical Vanitas subject matter, but pared down to the most essential elements.

born: 1969, Chula Vista, CA

education

Northeastern State University, BA in Ed, Minor Native American Studies, 1998
Tidewater Community College, AA, 1993

selected awards/honors

Professional Fellowship  Virginia Museum of Fine Art 2005
Travel Grant  Tucson-Pima Arts Council 1997
Professional Development Grant  Arizona Commission On The Arts 1997

selected publications

Generations, Cherokee Language through Art, Cherokee Heritage Museum. Park Hill, OK: 2009
Glassworker's Bathroom Reader, Ed Schmid. Bellingham, WA: Glass Mountain Press various pages, 2006
Flanary's Art Is Wonderfully Twisted. Tucson Citizen: Tucson, AZ; 21 May 1998

selected solo or two-person exhibits

Vincent Hester Gallery: Color, Color, Color, Portsmouth, VA 2004
Raw Gallery: Going Forth By Day, Tucson, AZ, 1997
Anne Kitrell Gallery: Masks And Visions, Fayetteville, AR, 1995

selected group shows

Cherokee National Museum: Generations, Cherokee Language through Art, Park Hill, OK 2009
Holter Museum of Art: ANA 26, Helena, MT 1997