Theater Flats

In 2021, I was given some discarded flats bound for the dumpster, and began using them as a support for figural paintings of everyday life.These flats were originally constructed as a project by theatre craft students at Fresno State University , using traditional theatre building techniques. (I took this class my first semester back in college, and later taught the sewing portion of the class for 18 years).

The series began with a photograph of my daughter in Spain in a mash-up with Las Meninas (Pensando en la mer es su nombre en la lengua griega, 2019). The series’ images are sourced from photographs and selfies of family members and friends, the figure is shown in the context of domestic spaces, outdoors, or performing. Spaces are often cluttered, with various shapes and planes challenging the simplicity of traditional portraits, the proliferation of “perfect” orchestrated images in the media, as well as expectations of beauty.

I continued to receive the discarded flats until 2025, they represent demo flats, and those abandoned by the students who built them. Because the sized muslin is only affixed to the top of the frame (not wrapped like canvas), I soften the sharp edges of the wood, by adding an application of gesso, or by covering them with pieces of torn brown paper sourced from home delivery packages. Then a gestural painted ground is added to the panel, making use of paint left over on the palette. This time consuming process allows me to form a connection to the object before the imagery is added. While creating a surface that feels more welcoming to paint, the texture draws the viewer’s attention to the surface and the paint, mediating the image, separating it from its source imagery). The attention to surface texture increases the object-like quality of the panels, cancelling the traditional notion that visual images are windows into space. At the same time, these unframed panels challenge the smooth, polished, refined type of objects traditionally shown in museums and galleries.

Some of the paintings reflect my process in adjusting to the empty nest. Roaring Springs Series: Breath (2019-2021) is one of the related paintings in the series. After my adult daughter had a TB test scare, I painted the interesting leaf I found in the backyard on top of a newspaper photograph of a chest xray. The board was collaged with student blue book pages referencing everyday life. (Roaring Springs is the brand that makes blue books). Wherever you go, there you are (2021) used a Google maps image of someplace my daughter visited as a case-worker in Los Angeles. The source image for Drawn to what’s missing (Model Horses) (2023-24) is a photograph of the horses she bought at auction from Ebay or Goodwill online. I added the quilt I made when she was three to help me process loss after an ectopic pregnancy. The horses replace the ones she never had as a child

The people include my daughter, niece, and friends. Planned images include my nephew, sister-in-law, present day me, and long ago living-in-NYC me. The sensual pleasure of enjoying live music, or eating an ice cream with the sights and sounds of the city.

While painting, I think about the techniques of Modern artists I teach in art history courses: the Cubists’ use of multiple vantage points and intentional flattening of form; and the Fauves arbitrary use of color which draw attention to the picture plane and away from the creation of illusionistic space. Wall paper is frequently included, both true to the source images (Elyria Shimmering on the edge of Chinatown, 2023-24) or imagined William Morris prints I teach about in art history (Sava and Danube, 2021-22; [At five in the afternoon (or not), 2022). The palette of Semi Trucks summer house show (2024-25) was inspired by Philip Guston. The landscape in Pasadena Wedding Portrait; South Arroyo, Friday December 13, 2024 (2025) was inspired by 19th century Syncretist paintings, and the depiction of the wedding couple with symbols references Jan van Eyck’s Wedding Portrait (1434). This use of art historical references further connects to my everyday life as an instructor of art history.

The series is about everyday life, my connection begins with the use of the panels made in the class I taught for 18 years (and took myself in 1998), then reinforced by the application of a collage of brown paper from package deliveries.The series also makes use of various forms of everyday life technology, from city traffic and neon lights (May the road rise with you (Dio City), 2024-26), a refrigerator (This is just to say, refrigerators are my favorite appliance, 2022), to a computer, sharpie and tape (Sava and Danube, 2021-22). Clothes hangers (At five…), musical instruments and a tangling of electric cords and connection cables (Semi Trucks…Eylria), and a garden hose (You cannot see me from where I look at myself, 2023-25) A cat clock and projector in Mourning in Sequins (2022) Cell phones are included in five other paintings.

Imagery comes from domestic outfit selfies used in long distance mother/daughter communication, (“Should I wear this?”), musical performances, travel photographs, and a wedding portrait. At present Theatre Flats includes thirteen completed 24 x 36 inch paintings and three related, non-figural works. Eleven more paintings in the series are planned including more images of performing musicians, more New York City and eating ice cream, as well as the introduction of male figures to the series. With a change in theatre department personnel, there will likely be no more discarded panels which will bring an end to the series.

The use of the figure is like second nature to me. I studied fashion illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology and as a designer of handknits and costumes making color renderings using the figure was part of my job. I made daily full figure sketches documenting my outfits for decades, and continue today making daily reels for Instagram.

There is a sense of vicarious enjoyment in many of the images, as friends and family travel and perform music. A quiet moment at a family holiday celebration, my daughter after the death of her father, my former husband; and family celebrations. New York City is a significant place for me, and I connect to a young friend’s and family members’ travels and live musical performances. While living in NYC was fundamental to who I am today, I always felt like a Californian, maintaining my drivers license for the 12 years I lived out of state. Its people and places beckoned me to return.

Theater Flats

Organic Abstraction

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