Ask the Runes

While creating this body of work, I noticed the marks emerging from my process resembled ancient runic script—angular, mystical symbols believed to hold power for protection, prophecy, and enchantment.

My Runes began as ink drawings made while experiencing ongoing pain from a severely injured shoulder and subsequent shoulder replacement surgery. Unable to lift my arm, I extended a brush handle with tape, held my arm against my body, and moved around a large sheet of paper placed on the floor. What began as an adaptation to physical limitation became a revelation—these constrained movements created angular marks completely different from my typical gestural work. I then cut and reconfigured the paintings, enhancing their runic quality.

These works invite viewers to ask the runes their own questions about resilience, adaptation, and the unexpected discoveries that emerge from constraint.