PORTFOLIOS

These drawings began with a small piece of driftwood that I discovered near the Rio Grande River in New Mexico. This completely natural wood object appeared to me to be a carefully sculpted female figurine. My inclination was to call it a “Goddess” and thus imbue a spiritual or mystical interpretation to it. This response to a natural object or phenomenon is common and a recognized attribute of human thought processes. The scientific name for this tendency is “Pareidolia.” This piece stimulated me to look for other similar curios. Although not common, it is possible to find these objects almost anywhere and in a variety of substances. I choose to specialize in tree and wood subjects. When at home or away, I seek new environments to search for objects to draw. In this quest, I hike along established trails while carefully inspecting the immediate ground, looking for potential drawing subjects. Every new locale has different species of trees and shrubs, unique combinations of soil, water, and/or lack of each. These variations result in different growth and weathering patterns on the wood debris that I am seeking. When I discover a potential model, I scrutinize it to see if it fits into one of the four categories (God, Goddess, Mask, or Shield) I have identified for this series. The audience is free to examine each drawing for themselves and decide if it fits into any or all of the themes I have identified.

Wikipedia defines Pareidolia as “the tendency for perception to impose a meaningful interpretation on a nebulous stimulus, usually visual, so that one sees an object, pattern, or meaning where there is none.”