After three years of focused and detailed work in kiln-cast glass I yearn for a more spontaneous way of creating. I turn to my 3D printer and use Rhino Software to create abstract shapes that I can rapidly design and print out. I am filled with excitement and wonderment as the shapes appear on the platform of the 3D printer.

I then take these forms, make vacuum-formed moulds and turn the works into plaster. ​ As the exhibition comes to fruition I add words to the piece, a story-like context that ruminates through my head as I experiment with the materials. It is written in response to the work as I am making it, and quickly becomes a narrative that is embedded within the concept of Wonderment.  It is as if we are being dropped into the middle of a story and the use of materials is tied to one another through this narrative.

My daughter, Madeleine Colvin (writer), edits the words for me to incorporate into the gallery layout.

Whisper gently is tied to the piece “Whisperings”; uttered the Alchemist is tied to the piece Alchemy; for tonight we will become shadows under the clear skies is tied to both Whisperings and Clear Skies;  Tomorrow brings a carnival and cotton candy is tied to the piece Carnival and Cotton Candy; and at night we will bathe in the reflection of the moon is tied to the piece Moonscape.

Each separate work offers a different perspective on the treatment of plaster and materials to create a theme:

Alchemy: deals with the chemistry between plaster, metals, and chemicals. Rusted copper, pins, steel, vinegar, water, etc… are used. I feel like an Alchemist as I experiment and put them together.

Whisperings: explores materiality and immateriality- about being present and not present, questioning the existence of the object and the artist, the craftsperson: is the material the 3D printed plastic, or the shadows that it creates? or is it the material of light that is used to create the shadows? They are like whispers, made from clear 3D printed plastic. They cast a shadow and create a drawing on the wall: they are neither here, nor there, they disappear and re-appear.

Carnival and Cotton Candy: is an exploration of colour, and craft materials meant to elicit feelings of joy and fun, similar to a carnival on a warm summer’s night. I use colours that remind me of sherbert ice-cream or cotton candy.

Moonscape: is reminiscent of the early moon explorations in the 60s and the black and white images we were receiving- images that captured the shifting light from one side of the moon to the other, and the world's imagination… the light and dark values shift across the piece as if creating shadows so one side remains light, and the other dark. 

White Sky: investigates the purity of plaster as a material that seems to disappear on the wall but also be part of the wall- a piece that is present, but also not present: its colour and material fold itself into the “White Cube” of the gallery space. 

Dimensions: Each work is 4’ X 4’ X 10cm depth (approx.). Each piece within the work varies from 5cm X 5cm X 4 cm to 15 cm X 15 cm X 10cm. 

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2019. “Wonderments and Materiality”, solo exhibition. The Craft Council of BC, Vancouver

2019, “White Sky” was chosen as a finalist in the Salt Spring National Art Exhibition, Salt Spring Island, BC.

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