Flying Shoes Art Studio is my personal, creative background.
Artists create using tools and supports that are familiar and available to them. As a public school art teacher, I use the pages from rescued dictionaries - a teaching tool and the support for my work.
I have developed techniques for drawing and painting directly on fragile book pages sourced from antique dictionaries and old parchment that is 60 to 150 years old. I challenge myself to create nostalgic artwork that harmonizes with the text and is reminiscent of illustrations I remember from childhood encyclopedias, text books and magazines. I poured over such treasured books while growing up in the 60's on an Oklahoma farm.
Once I discover a definition that speaks to me, I build a composition of complementary images that wrap around that but remains slightly transparent so the viewer can "read through" and still discover what is written on the page.
Books are becoming increasingly rare and obsolete in our digital classrooms and libraries - my work is my way of preserving, celebrating and perpetuating their purpose. I am drawn to vintage books in part because of the beauty and elegance of our older language. Each book has a story, a journey and they take me with them and help me to develop an illustration that communicates that experience.
My subjects are inspired by the definitions I find on the page and come from my love of studying nature, old professions, family keepsakes and my love of teaching. I want my work to communicate a personal nostalgia.
I am an artist and teacher. My desire is to create work that teaches both my audience and me.
