Girle

Mixed Media on Canvas Ready to Hang.

I titled this piece based on a small picture of a girl that I drew as an 8-year-old, entitled "girle." I love how I misspelled it and I love going through my childhood art work that I had no idea was saved by my mother. I include these bits of collage as a way to honor my younger self and to pay homage to all of our inner children--the innocence, of course, the bold use of color and the freedom to express.

You'll also often find bits of maps embedded in many of my pieces, including this one. That started when I found a road map in my father-in-law's Prius (tucked in the side of the door). When I opened the map of Milwaukee, I found written instructions from my mother in law to my parent's home. I loved that bit of history. It filled me with nostalgia and I have been including maps ever since.

Maps also reflect my love of travel--even though as my husband will tell you, I refuse to look at maps when traveling and prefer to wander and get lost, which is basically how I roll with painting, too.