I loved finding hidden figures and objects in the shapes of the clouds. A dog, Mickey mouse’s head, an arrow – the more creative you are, the more you find.

When I create abstract panels, I look for shapes emerging the same way I looked to the sky when I was a kid. I do my best to not become attached to them and let the work evolve. As I worked on this mixed media glass piece, two figures arose that I just could not cover. For a time, I toyed with enhancing them to make them more apparent. But in the end, I decided to leave them vague.

The piece is named Verklempt, which means overcome with emotion. The name is for the figures and objects I can see in the piece.

Each panel is 48″ tall by 20″ wide. The diptych is created from mixed media and reclaimed glass mounted on wood panels and hung with french cleats.

2022 held some surprises for me that brought up intense emotion: joy of the highest order to grief at my deepest levels.

So I did the only thing I know how to do – I threw all of it onto a panel. All the light. All the dark. The bumpy texture, the smooth silky finish. It’s all right there, saying what I still can’t quite articulate.

This piece is called “the Catalyst.” It’s a launch-off point to a completely different way of moving through life. It’s the recognition of a joyous gift that has begun a transformation within me that hasn’t fully come to fruition just yet.

The Catalyst is a mixed media and mounted glass on a wood panel substrate. The overall dimensions are 28″ x 32″. It arrives unframed but ready to hang on french cleats. For those that wish to frame the piece, I recommend a canvas floater frame.

The process was a delight. First, I requested photographs of some of the other art and furniture already collected for the space. Once I had a sense of the scale and color palette, I created several renderings of concepts for their consideration.

We landed on a diptych, which would be easier to ship and install than one large piece. The diptych was designed to be the exact width of the bed once installed. Each panel measured 24″ x 38.” We picked up colors from the other art and responded to the fantastic landscape featured in the corner window. We also selected framing that would echo the other artwork in the room.

Because of the installation location over the bed, the work was over engineered. Each panel is installed with french cleats rated for 300+ pounds. Further the glass is laminated and set with 20+ hidden anchors on each panel. The frame is a floating canvas frame and does not bear any of the weight.

I couldn’t be happier with the result. The silver metallics poke through the composition adding eye-catching sparkle. The texture adds interest and dimension to the space.