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Somehow, sometime

Possibility, resilience, risk, hope, connection….these are some of the thought areas that sparked the drawings in this exhibit. My material collaborators - mulberry paper, ink and bamboo pens - keep me moving forward.

This rectangular picture is drawn in black ink on a thin, sandy toned paper with some darker threads and flecks of the plant fiber it is made from, with uneven edges. In the center top third of the drawing is a large nest, its overall shape similar to a deep bowl. The lines are both curving horizontal and vertical, with variation in how thick or dark they are. Many of the vertical lines extend far above the nest some ending in a flower or bud like form, some curving up and off the paper, others becoming very wiggly. Multiple thin supports are underneath the nest, some extending all the way down to the bottom of the paper, others curving and moving out into other directions toward the side edges of the paper. Slightly below the nest, and overlapping with the supports, are a series of lines that bend away from the left side, towards the right, and then back again to the left. On the left edge is a curved line, double near the top, that is rounded like the curve of a ball. At various points on the right edge, lines with different character come in and curve or coil towards the middle, some of them ending with flower like forms. Underneath and around the nest is the appearance of a lot of movement. This drawing is called “waiting for you”.

Titled “With ups and downs”, this square picture is
drawn in black ink on mulberry paper, a thin plant-based paper with uneven edges and what appear to be threads and small flecks of darker in color than the overall sandy tone of the paper. On the left side of the drawing, to the right of a straight support, thin black lines and a ladder curve up to a nest-like structure, which connects to another nest-like structure near the opposite corner. They are connected by lines of various thicknesses, some curvy and ambling, that lead into a straighter line which seems to support the nest on the right. Just below this a swing curves in towards the center.

This small vertical picture is drawn in black ink on light
sandy colored mulberry paper. The paper is very thin, translucent in places, and has threads and flecks of the plant fiber it is made of. The edges are uneven, with some thin threads extending out. From the top center of the paper a delicate line, gently curving a bit, extends about 2/3 of the way down and holds an extended pair of wings. The top of the wings is similar to a soft rounded, upside-down letter W. the wings are made up of 4 rows of overlapping feathers on each side. The feathers are simply drawn, and vary in the weight of the line. The rest of the paper is blank. This drawing is called “Wings when you need them”.

This long narrow horizontal drawing is in black ink on a sandy colored mulberry paper, a thin paper with flecks of darker bits of plant fiber, uneven edges and, all along the top edge many threads that stick up. The lines in this drawing are wavy and wandering with thicker and thinner parts. While one line seems to come in from the left side and then off the paper again about a quarter of the way in, the other line appears to be almost continuous cross the drawing. Starting on the left side, two lines come into the drawing near the top of the paper, while one goes up and off the paper, the other bends and curves down, then back up again, wiggling back and forth into a nest-like structure, then up to the very top of the page, meandering and curving along until, near the bottom right corner another nest is formed, top tipping in toward the middle. Just underneath this to the left a thin line curves up into the drawing just a little way, a similar thin line loops and curves out from the first nest, extending towards the other one. This drawing is called “Unknotted but still tied together”.

This almost square black ink drawing on sand colored thin
mulberry paper, made out of plant fiber, is titled “Steady on”. A cluster of thin lines with plant like tops start coming up from the center of the bottom edge. Just right of center in the top third of the paper is a nest with many lines curving out of and around it, some circling in, under and out towards the edges. A third of the way down on the right side a thicker denser line swoops slightly down and across, echoing the bottom curve of the nest. Another nest-like form, in the middle of the left half of the drawing, hangs from a thin squiggly line that curves up toward the center, and then down to the bottom edge of the paper. This one has a hole right beneath where it is tied and is tire-like in form, though made of lots and lots of small lines like twigs and branches. On the upper edge, a short way in from the right side, the paper has a deep rounded tear. Underneath this a thin line coming from the top nest splits beneath it.

A black ink drawing on a sandy toned thin, in parts translucent, fibrous paper depicts a branch holding a nest and various plant like forms. All edges but the bottom one of the paper are uneven, sometimes appearing torn, with bits of threads and fibers extending out. The paper has darker flecks and strands of plant matter embedded in it, which sometimes is intentionally used in the drawing. The lines and marks vary a lot in how delicate or heavy they are, whether they are curved, straight, wiggly, or short dots or lines. The paper is slightly wider than it is tall. A branch curves out and up from the bottom right hand corner, splitting into two smaller branches in the upper half of the drawing. A nest rests in the fork of the branch and is in a rounded irregular diamond shape, constructed of lines that follow the contours of the shape right to the middle, where there is a small opening with a small rounded organic form that is solid black with tiny pointed extensions. A few other solid black roundish forms are to the right, each with radiating lines that end in dots or squiggles. A mushroom like form comes in from the center right edge, its rounded top parallel to the curve of the branch. Above and next to the nest are a series of thin horizontal lines with slight curves, one of this echoes one of the threads embedded in the paper. On the left, one of these lines loops and crosses over itself. Another extends out from the branch and ends with a number of thread like pieces hanging down. Below one of these dangling threads, and a short way from the bottom edge of the paper, is another roundish black form, this one with lines extending out from it and loosely curving around its shape so that it appears to be in motion. This drawing is titled “Tumble”.

A large nest, drawn in black ink on a thin, partially translucent, sand colored paper rests in the lower right of the nearly square paper. It is slightly angled on the bottom, with the right side tilting down towards the right hand corner. The nest is constructed of layers and layers of lines, some curving in horizontal waves around the form, others extending vertically up and over the top of the nest. On each side of the nest are clusters of the taller vertical strands, and they are gathered together towards the top of the paper, where the are tied to a vertical bundle of twigs or grasses, which stretches over the opening of the nest. Underneath and to the side of the nest many lines curve up and out of the nest, some of them are very curly, and some small ones seem to break free and float on their own. The top edge of the paper, has many threads that are part of the paper itself, extending up and out, similar to the lines of the nest. This drawing is titled “Shelter here”.

A long narrow picture on thin, sandy toned paper with uneven edges is drawn in black ink. It shows a nest-like form hanging by a long thin cord from a narrow branch. The branch is a line that stretches from the left side of the paper towards the opposite side, turning up in a plant or leaf-like tuft before it reaches the other edge. A little left of center a cord or string is wrapped a few times around the branch and then drops into the bottom third of the picture to hold a nest that is similar in shape to an onion with a pointy top. The lines making up the nest have a lot of variation, some are delicate, some weighty, some wavy, others smooth. They are both horizontal and vertical and curve around and across each other to build the form. Up the sides, around the top and bottom of the nest lines extend out and sometimes fly away from the nest, with some bits and pieces completely disconnected. This drawing is titled “By a Thread”.

This vertical rectangular picture on thick tan handmade paper with
very uneven edges is drawn in black ink. It shows a nest just
below the center of the paper. It is hanging from a long thread that is tied to two thin branches that curve up to the right and off the paper. The nest is in the shape of a bowl with many plant like
forms and different types of lines coming out of it, it is titled “Got you”.

This small picture is drawn on thin, nearly translucent, mulberry paper, which is made out of plant fibers. None of the edges are completely straight, and two seem to be torn, with some longer fibers extending out from the sheet of paper. The paper is a light sand color, with darker threads and flecks
scattered throughout. It is drawn in black ink, and shows a nest in the upper right hand corner, bowl shaped but with lots of plant like and curly lines reaching out from the top and sides. Some areas are very thick, and appear darker, and other areas have a very soft or delicate line. The nest is in the upper quarter of the paper, and right below it is a thick line that follows along the right side of the nest and below, it connects to the nest with a series of short uneven lines. A similar line drops vertically, towards the bottom of the paper. About half way down it is joined by a thin line that stops just at the bottom with a little foot, or platform. Also near the top of this vertical line, on the left, is what appears to be a rope ladder, curving as if blown by a wind out towards the middle of the paper. Other lines come out of the nest and reach across towards the left, curvy and alluding to movement. In the bottom left corner of the paper is are lines that form a shape like the front of the boat or canoe, a thicker area is at the front point, with four thin lines pointing up. A thin line goes from this front point and is tied to the vertical line supporting the nest structure. The drawing is titled “If the wind comes up”.

This square drawing in black ink on mulberry paper is titled “Ready”. The paper is very thin, sandy in tone, with bits of darker threads and flecks. The edges are uneven and appear to be torn in some places. The drawing shows a structure in the shape of a boat on top of a sloped form depicted by a simple line which appears to be a rock or the ground. The boat is made up of many branch and grass like overlapping lines. The lines vary in density, length and quality–-some are straighter, some curvy, some have smaller lines criss-crossing them. At the front longer lines extend out some turning up, one reaching all the way to the edge. Most of these end in flower or grass like shapes. Near the back of the boat are three posts, first a shorter one with 5 spokes, each with a very small shape on the end; the second is wider, with multiple lines inside and reaches up to a rough platform, which goes right off the page. The last “post” curves up from the very end of the boat, and has 3 lines wiggling out, reminiscent of a flag in the breeze.

This vertically oriented picture has a tangle of plant and grass-like lines across the upper part of the paper, a sort of wild garden held up by thin supports. Drawn in black ink on a sandy toned plant based paper that has darker threads and flecks embedded in it, the overall feel is busy but airy. Just past center on the top, the dense garden area stops, but the platform continues, appearing like a bundle of horizontal stems or branches, several of which curl up and out on the end, as if growing. underneath this section is a small pulley wheel with a rope that drops down on the right to a platform suspended above the bottom edge of the drawing, with grasses growing on the right side. The other end of the rope extends at an angle to a pulley wheel anchored on the ground in the center of the paper. From that wheel the rope angles up again to wrap around a vine in the middle. One the left half of the drawing the two thin supports stretch up to the platform underneath the densest area. At different points small shelf like structures extend out from the support lines and hold one or more small seedlings. Here and there throughout the drawing are things growing, often thin and curvy with non-specific flower or grass-like forms on the ends. The title of this drawing is “Grow things”.

“Almost” is a small square drawing in black ink on cream colored cotton paper with uneven edges. It is very sparse. On the top quarter of the paper is an image of what could be a bridge extending out from the left side of the paper. The bottom is a very narrow slightly curving walkway with lines indicating boards, with delicate vertical lines that are similar to branches. An uneven thin line runs parallel to the walkway, which extends about ¾ of the way across the paper and then stops with a little upward curve and a black dot with lines extending out. There is a gap, and then a thicker rounded corner with two lines – one horizontal straight line at roughly the same height as the walkway that runs to the side of the paper and another which angles out and down to the bottom edge. This shape resembles a rock or cliff. The rest of the paper is blank.

A long narrow picture on thin, sandy toned paper with uneven edges is drawn in black ink. It shows a nest-like form hanging by a long thin cord from a narrow branch. The branch is a line that stretches from the left side of the paper towards the opposite side, turning up in a plant or leaf-like tuft before it reaches the other edge. A little left of center a cord or string is wrapped a few times around the branch and then drops into the bottom third of the picture to hold a nest that is similar in shape to an onion with a pointy top. The lines making up the nest have a lot of variation, some are delicate, some weighty, some wavy, others smooth. They are both horizontal and vertical and curve around and across each other to build the form. Up the sides, around the top and bottom of the nest lines extend out and sometimes fly away from the nest, with some bits and pieces completely disconnected. This drawing is titled “By a Thread”.

On a rectangular vertical paper that is a sandy color and so thin it is translucent in places is a drawing of two nests close together, perched on top of supports. Drawn in black ink, the lines are fine and irregular. The nests are in the upper third of the drawing, most of the larger one is slightly to the left of center, with the smaller one just to the right of center and a little lower than the first. The nest on the left is bowl shaped and some of its vertical lines reach almost to the top of the paper. The nest on the right has a rounder overall shape. The supports of each are thin lines that start near each other at the bottom of the paper, neither perfectly straight. They are connected by a few other lines, angled from one to the other. On the left side of the paper a line curves in and down. Lines in the nests themselves, around their edges and forms, and in some of the space around have a lot of character. They curl, twist and fly around. The title of this drawing is “Close”.

Two squares of thin sandy toned paper, with edges that are uneven and have bits of fibers coming out, are side by side with about half an inch of space between them. On each is a drawing in black ink. They are very spacious, with the drawing minimal. On the left square a line curves in from the lower left side and swoops up to just past the middle where it just barely connects with the underside of a bowl-shaped nest, in the upper right corner, which is constructed of many small squiggly lines, some of which go right up and off the paper. Just under the lower left side of the nest a lone line curves up and out, with a soft hook at the end, pointing down. Under the right side of the nest a line goes off the edge and picks up in the right hand square. This line reaches across the page with one loop in the middle, all the way to the other corner where it encounters another nest, though only the bottom of this one is visible. this nest also is made up of many squiggly lines, denser near the center, but going out in all directions. there are two thin supports on this side, one about a quarter of the way in on the left reaches up and splits into a small V shape which holds the line or vine that is going across the top, the other quite close to the right hand edge which stretches up from the bottom forking lines into two which go right into the nest. The title of this drawing is “Newly connected”.

This square black ink drawing is on mulberry paper, a very thin paper, sandy in tone, with bits of darker threads and
flecks that are darker. The edges are uneven and appear to be torn in some places. Titled “Build high” this drawing is densest along the top, starting just in from the left edge. Lots of lines, twig or branch like, tangle together with a slight rounded bottom edge. This section has the appearance of only being part of something, possibly a nest or some other structure. Starting at the lower edge of the drawing and extending up are many thin and uneven lines. From left to right there is a tall thin line close to a very long skinny irregular ladder with 5 other lines spaced across the paper. These lines each stretch up, connecting to each other or additional lines that also continue up with curves or angles until they meet the tangle of lines at the top.

This square black ink drawing on thin, sometimes translucent, light tan mulberry paper with uneven edges and bits of plant fiber is titled “Anchored for growth”. Just left of center in the upper half of the drawing there is a cone shaped nest, pointy end down. The top is open, with various lines, plant and leaf-like shapes radiating out from the edge of the rim, as well as these continue down the sides and a few on the left side float off. There are multiple lines and supports that connect to the nest, on the upper left side a thin line goes up off the paper, on the upper right side is a thicker line that forks near the upper corner, with one line on either side of the corner, again with the drawing going right off the paper. On the lower right side of the nest a longer diagonal support extends right to the lower right hand corner, and at the bottom of the nest there are multiple supports, drawn as thin lines extending to the bottom of the paper. A few are tied together at intervals. This grouping of lines is more widely spaced at the bottom than the top.

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