“Being an artist is not a profession; it’s an existence — an unstoppable urge to do the work, with no explanation.” – Christo

As you probably know, Christo is the installation artist famous for wrapping public places in fabric. He made the statement above while visiting Vermont recently. A good friend shared it with me, knowing it would resonate with my approach as an artist.

The drive I have to create comes from somewhere deep within my soul. I have a compulsion to take what is constantly going on inside my head and translate it into physical reality with my hands. My time in the studio becomes a meditative experience where I can completely lose myself in the techniques of Joomchi, manipulating the color and texture of the Hanji paper. Intuition takes over. A feeling of enchantment descends. And from that place of perfect balance, I am able to transform the materials before me into one-of-a-kind works of art.

Still, my intention isn’t to keep these creations to myself. I send them out into the world via my website, exhibitions and other avenues. I enjoy hearing the varied thoughts and interpretations from visitors to my studio and the art patrons I meet at shows. When my art connects with an audience, only then is the circle complete.

The flow of energy from my art to viewers and from viewers back to me gives me the space to continue moving forward, experimenting and creating new work. As an artist, my existence depends on it.