Artist Statement

I love building up layers of form, color, and texture using a collage approach. I enjoy starting with a visual idea, then allowing it to evolve as I let the creative process and materials lead me. Some of my pieces form visual metaphors for aspects of nature, manmade objects, and emotional experiences. Sensual surfaces captivate me. The materials I work with often suggest their own subjects, whether they be whimsical or meditative.

My mediums have a broad range, including acrylic, organic materials, and a variety of papers. I also cut up and repurpose woodcuts, monotypes, handmade paper, and fabric art in paintings. The viewer can revel in three-dimensional wood chips and dried seawood glued to the surface – as well as sink into deeper, more complex space created by translucent layers of paint and fibrous rice paper.

I use design in all aspects of my life – the studio; gardening and landscaping; consulting to non-profits; and until recently, my business career in the IT world. All these activities share common themes: learning, envisioning possibilities, developing concepts, creating frameworks and plans, taking risks, and continuously improving.

Sylvia Vander Sluis