Welcome to ArtCycle!

I was born into a very practical, Scandinavian farming community in Northern Minnesota. Creativity was admired and nurtured as long as whatever was produced was useful to daily life. This included sewing, rug making, crocheting, embroidery…that sort of thing. If you could take something old & worn out and make something useful out of it, well then that was doubly wonderful! My grandma Lily Peterson was known for making flesh-toned, handwoven rugs out of old pantyhose! They weren’t much to look at, but they sure were durable, springy and helped keep the floors clean.

Throughout the years, my artwork has reflected my life’s origins. I enjoy working with a wide variety of media while also incorporating traditional folkart skills into the finished creations. Recycling discarded items into art is super fun and exciting for me. "Creative Bliss" is defined for me when I’m resurrecting tired, old furniture into colorful “floor art”, using antique buttons, photos or puzzle pieces in a painting, using old wool sweaters to make artsy scarves, or taking computer memory boards and adhering them unto old cabinet doors where they are then painted and become “wall art”. If something sparks my interest...say an unusual relic, a piece of trash, discarded clothing, old phonebook pages, a funky old purse, then it's fair game for a future art piece.

I am also a performance artist who is currently the storyteller in residence for the Dallas Museum of Art. I also do concerts/programs for local libraries and festivals here in Texas, Louisiana and in Florida. My visual art creations often reflect my love of world folklore & stories. Often the observer will find words, sayings and poems in them. Sometimes a story inspires the artwork, but more often, a story is born upon it's completion when I see where my subconscious as led me.

This blog has been created to showcase my visual art projects. Because I always use recycled materials in my work I have titled this blog "ArtCycle!"

Welcome.