The Burlap Project evolved from my continued interest in integrating texture and fabric with my mixed media techniques using acrylic paint and collage.
I wanted to narrow the focus of what I was doing to these materials in an effort to really dig deeper into one direction. Before creating any larger works I wanted to open up the as many possibilities of working with these materials as possible. I found my sketchbook the best place to start playing with the ideas of how these materials could be used in tandem.
- I use a sketchbook and small studies to make quick experiments to explore a variety of directions
- Materials include burlap, string, gauze, cardboard, netting, joint compound and transparent fabric
- Early experiments led me to search for ways to integrate the fabric into the surface — to go beyond being an element that just sits on top of the surface.
- Through this work, I discovered my love affair was with texture and not necessarily just burlap — the focus opened up to other fabrics and materials