These large-scale silhouettes of trees and wires began as a small idea in the form of a series of artist books. In one sense, they did not seem right as small, hand held objects. Never having worked large, they called out to be made at a scale larger than myself. Smaller than actual life size- because of studio limitations and other mundane constraints, they are still bigger than anything else I have created.

In driving the highways and country roads at dusk, I am constantly observing the way tree branches, electrical wires and transformers look silhouetted against the night sky. The beauty of the abstract shapes inspires me. The subtlety of the values, dark branches against a dark sky, creates an interesting contrast to the stronger images I am aware of when the sky is brilliant blue or leaden gray.  I am looking for a specificity of certain trees that catch my attention. I am looking for the path a branch takes as it grows, the direction and design a tree trunk makes against another tree, the crossing of wires creating patterns. I am interested in the grouping of leaf shapes and the resulting negative spaces. I am also trying to predetermine how the specific tree or telephone pole image will fit into the long thin format the rolls of paper have given me.

The physical cutting out of the negative shapes (the air, the extraneous background) to make the positive shape (the figure, the object) magically appear, is a satisfying act. The cutting of these abstract shapes are nothing until I stand back and observe all these little pieces of paper falling to the ground to reveal the silhouetted shapes that is what this art is about.

Hanging two different cut outs in front of each other create a sense of place and a sense of space. The two or more layers speak to each other, mimic shapes, and most importantly, cast shadows against each other and against the wall. Light plays an important part in the work. The dappled light of tree on tree imitates the effect of the sunlight in the forest.