Artists Notes: Reviewing an Unbound Book, "The Book of Eve"

There is often a connecting thread, or several interconnected threads, in the tapestry of one's creative works. However, such connections might not initially be noticed.

During a retrospective review of my art and poetry, I became aware of such inter-relationships between my works even though there is a diversity of subject matter, media and formal approaches. The two great themes or inspirations for my work (which often grow together in union in the compositions) are: (1) the value or inherent worth of a human life; inclusive of age, gender, culture, and national origin; and (2) the value or inherent richness and diverse beauty of our natural world.

While I have continued to refine my working processes, knowledge, and skill, my creative works remain connected with my deep interest in the respect for and preservation of humanity's cultural and historical inheritances; and the need to respect and celebrate our natural inheritance.

Additionally, as a woman artist and writer, I am drawn towards portraying woman in a manner that honors the feminine experience and contribution to the unfolding narratives of humanity's journey through time.

One body of my work, The Book of Eve: Songs of the Spirit, Hymns of the Flesh, unites my poetry and art into an original, hand-illuminated and scribed artist's book, or manuscript. In this book I bring into focus various constructs, ideas, and images that have shaped the Western cultural concepts of "woman", while giving the archetypal feminine voices a forum to answer, respond and challenge these concepts. There is an inter-play, or a discourse between image and text that invites additional creative discourse in the form of conversations and new works.

While this volume of work is complete, the form of the unbound book allows for the inclusion of new pages and supportive scholarly research that connects the aesthetic form with current political, social and human rights topics that continue to impact women around the world.

This is one manner in which my art connects with real-world issues of relevance to our contemporary world. As I have reconnected with the earlier work comprising The Book of Eve, I am inspired to build upon this volume, and to continue to allow my art to provide "woman" a place to speak to the hearts and minds of people in a manner that honors the feminine life force and inspires aspects of the feminine within us to be strong, nurturing and beautiful--even in the face of ignorance, repression and adversity.